New research project on desistance following overseas imprisonment

We are excited to announce that Prisoners Abroad is partnering with the University of Cambridge Institute of Criminology on a new research project titled ‘Desistance following overseas imprisonment’.  

Funded by the Dawes Trust, this research study aims to develop a robust, empirical evidence base for improving our understanding of desistance from crime following a prison sentence overseas.  

The research builds on a small-scale interview study that Prisoners Abroad commissioned in 2021 involving 10 people that had returned to the UK after overseas imprisonment (Cracknell and Ward, 2022) which highlighted a number of issues and the importance of the role that Prisoners Abroad plays in helping people to avoid homelessness and strengthening their pathway to positive reintegration into society, but it did not pursue the links between resettlement experiences and desistance from crime.

These links are important to explore quantitatively and qualitatively in order to understand which facilitators and barriers to resettlement are most significant in the desistance process and the effectiveness of the support provided by Prisoners Abroad. 

Commenting on the new project, Christopher Stacey, chief executive of Prisoners Abroad, said:

“We are delighted to be partnering with the Institute of Criminology and to have secured funding from the Dawes Trust to enable this research project. While there is a substantial body of research on desistance from crime more broadly, there is currently no research on the desistance experiences of British citizens returning to the UK after a prison sentence overseas. This study will provide greater understanding in this important but complex area of public policy and we look forward to working with the Institute on the research and using the findings to inform policy and practice on how best to support British people returning home from a prison sentence overseas.”  

As part of the project, the Institute of Criminology is recruiting a fixed-term research assistant to work with Dr Caroline Lanskey. You can find out more about the research assistant vacancy here.  

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