| Abstrakt: |
Peer mentoring by people with convictions is very much 'in vogue'. There is a tangible appeal to the concept of reformed offenders taking a proactive role in the rehabilitation of others, which fits well with current criminological theories of desistance and indeed with political plans for a 'rehabilitation revolution'. Whilst there is optimism for this approach, however, and indeed some strong practice examples, there are equally some tangible barriers to peer mentoring in the criminal justice system, which reflect a broader tension between punitive and rehabilitative ideals. Mentors and mentees often refer to difficulties in making the transition from prisoner to member of the public, because they feel viewed in terms of their risk defined past, rather than their self-defined present. They also describe barriers to volunteering as peer mentors, and settings where they are allowed to work, but with heavier restrictions than other civic volunteers. Finally however they speak in hopeful terms about the uniqueness of the prisoner experience. Specifically how it may present a privileged form of knowledge, with the potential to encourage autonomy and change in others. Drawing upon data from my PhD project, which is an ethnographic study of 'peer mentoring' by people with convictions this article will explore these three points of dialogue. Data has been collected through interviews with mentors and mentees, direct observations of practice and documentary analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
