Travelling hopefully: desistance research and probation practice

This paper will explore the impact of desistance theory and research on probation practice to date. It begins by reviewing the impact of desistance scholarship on probation to date, briefly explaining why desistance scholarship has played a part in refocusing attention on two neglected aspects of probation work; the centrality of the worker-probationer relationship and the significance of the social contexts of offending and desistance. However, the chapter also seeks to move beyond these insights by exploring potential dialogues between desistance research and probation practice around issues of identity, diversity and religiosity.