Young Offenders: Crime, Prison and Struggles for Desistance

274 Pages·2015·1.721 MB·English

by  Mark Halsey, Simone Deegan (auth.)

PalgraveStudiesinPrisonsandPenology
Editedby:BenCrewe,UniversityofCambridge,YvonneJewkes,Universityof
LeicesterandThomasUgelvik,UniversityofOslo.
This is a unique and innovative series, the first of its kind dedicated entirely
toprisonscholarship.Atahistoricalpointinwhichtheprisonpopulationhas
reached an all-time high, the series seeks to analyse the form, nature and con-
sequencesofincarcerationandrelatedformsofpunishment.PalgraveStudiesin
PrisonsandPenologyprovidesanimportantforumforburgeoningprisonresearch
acrosstheworld.
Serieseditors:
BENCREWEisDeputyDirectorofthePrisonsResearchCentreattheInstituteof
Criminology,UniversityofCambridge,UKandco-authorofThePrisoner.
YVONNE JEWKES is Professor of Criminology, University of Leicester, UK. She
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PolicyandPractise.
AdvisoryBoard:
AnnaEriksson,MonashUniversity,Australia
Andrew M. Jefferson, Rehabilitation and Research Centre for Torture Victims,
Denmark
ShaddMaruna,Queen’sUniversityBelfast,NorthernIreland
JonathonSimon,BerkeleyLaw,UniversityofCalifornia,USA
MichaelWelch,RutgersUniversity,NewJersey,USA
Titlesinclude:
VincenzoRuggiero,MickRyan
PUNISHMENTINEUROPE
ACriticalAnatomyofPenalSystems
PhilScratonandLindaMoore
THEINCARCERATIONOFWOMEN
PunishingBodies,BreakingSpirits
PeterScharffSmith
WHENTHEINNOCENTAREPUNISHED
TheChildrenofImprisonedParents
ThomasUgelvik
POWERANDRESISTANCEINPRISON
DoingTime,DoingFreedom
MargueriteSchinkel
BEINGIMPRISONED
Punishment,AdaptationandDesistance
MarkHalseyandSimoneDeegan
YOUNGOFFENDERS
Crime,PrisonandStrugglesforDesistance
PalgraveStudiesinPrisonsandPenology
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Young Offenders
Crime, Prison and Struggles for Desistance
Mark Halsey
ProfessorofCriminology,CentreforCrimePolicyandResearch,
FlindersUniversity,Australia
Simone Deegan
ProjectOfficer,FlindersUniversity,Australia
©MarkHalseyandSimoneDeegan2015
Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 2015 978-1-137-41121-1
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LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
Halsey,Mark,author.
Youngoffenders:crime,prison,andstrugglesfordesistance/MarkHalsey,
ProfessorofCriminalJustice,FlindersUniversity,Australia;Simone
Deegan,ProjectOfficer,FlindersUniversity,Australia.
pages cm—(Palgravestudiesinprisonsandpenology)
Includesbibliographicalreferences.
1. Juveniledelinquents—Legalstatus,laws,etc. 2. Juvenilejustice,
Administrationof. I. Deegan,Simone,author. II. Title.
K5575.H352015
364.36—dc23 2014028135
For Jason (1988–2009)
and
For Stewart (1963–2009)
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Contents
Acknowledgments viii
Introduction 1
1 SettingtheScene 11
2 ApproachtotheField–Data 26
3 OnTrack 35
4 RecurringBreakdown 62
5 MajorDerailment 104
6 CatastrophicTurn 127
7 PointsofUnrest 177
8 PointsofLight 210
ConcludingRemarks 227
Custodial-Grams 233
Notes 245
References 247
Index 258
vii
Acknowledgments
MarkHalsey
This book would not have been possible without initial funding from
Flinders University and successive grants awarded by the Australian
Research Council (DP0556471 ‘Understanding recidivism and repeat
incarceration among young male offenders: A biographical and lon-
gitudinal approach’, and DP094562 ‘Generativity in young male
(ex)prisoners: Caring for self, other, and future within prison and
beyond’).ForsuchfundingI’mextremelythankful.
The book would also not have happened without the cooperation
of the South Australian Department for Correctional Services and the
Department for Communities and Social Inclusion (formerly Depart-
mentforFamiliesandCommunities).ParticularthanksisduetoNerida
Saunders, Karen Barry, Wendy Dale, Howard Pfeffer, James Armitage,
Sam Armitage, Phil Miller, Peter Severin, David Brown, Anne-Marie
Martin,JackieBrayandKevinHarkin.I’mindebtedtoJoeDecicco,Fran
Hawkins and Trevor Richardson who have assisted with updating the
whereabouts of participants over many years. To all who assisted with
access to juvenile training centre residents and prisoners within the
grounds of various facilities I offer my sincere thanks. The content of
this book, however, is not necessarily reflective of the views held by
currentorformeremployeesofanygovernmentdepartment.
Colleagues near and far have offered insight and support either
directly in conversation or through their writings. I’m particularly
indebted to Shadd Maruna, Stephen Farrall, Fergus McNeill, Alison
Liebling, Ben Crewe and Jonathan Simon. Closer to home, Andrew
Goldsmith has been a genuinely great colleague and friend and has
helped shape my thinking in countless ways. David Bamford and
Kathy Mack offered consistent encouragement. Sharon Pickering pro-
vided sage advice over the years. Ken Polk, Chris Cunneen and Eileen
Baldryallinspiredandsupportedtheworkinwaysprobablyunknown
tothem.
KimClarkedidafantasticjobasresearchassistant.VandraHarriscon-
ducted some of the interviews. Andrew Groves designed the custodial-
grams.
viii
Acknowledgments ix
ToBenandAdam,you’vebothbeenalongfortheentirejourneyand
thensome.Ican’tthankyouenoughforyourfriendship.
To Alby, Chris, Greg, Marc and Hamish, thanks for being such great
matesandfortakinganinterestintheresearch.
To Simone, thank you for developing such a respectful rapport with
certainoftheparticipantsinthelatterstagesoftheproject.
To Kate, I know this work has taken a toll in so many ways – ten
years is a long time to stick at anything. I literally couldn’t have done
itwithoutyou.‘Thankyou’doesn’treallysayit.ButIoffermyheartfelt
appreciationtoyou.
Tomywiderfamily.Thankyou.
Finally, to each and every interviewee, I offer my deepest gratitude.
It is a remarkable thing to open one’s life up to another – let alone a
researcheror‘stranger’.Itaketheweightofwhatyouhaveallsaidover
many years extremely seriously. Simone and I have tried to write this
book in a way which pulls no punches but also in a manner which,
we hope, does justice to you and/or who you might wish to ‘become’.
In the end, this book only exists because each of you agreed to speak
on record about your lives. This, therefore, is your book as much as it
isours.
SimoneDeegan
I would like to dedicate my work on the ‘Generativity in young male
(ex)prisoners: Caring for self, other, and future within prison and
beyond’ project to the young men and their families who invited me
into their homes and into their lives, no questions asked. Also to the
young people around the world who find themselves living on the
marginsoftheircommunities.
IamsoverythankfulforallofthehelpandsupportIreceivedwhile
writing this book. First and foremost: to Mark, for your unflagging
support and bottomless stores of patience across the project. I bene-
fited enormously from the opportunity to tackle serious analysis and
interpretationofdataandforthatIamindebtedtoyou.
IappreciateverymuchtheassistanceofKimClarke.Thankyouforall
yourhardworkandfinesenseofhumour.
To Brian O’Reilly, thank you for your tireless representation of every
clientIsentyourway.Keepfightingthegoodfight.
ToTerryDeegan,thankyoufor(literally)takingthejourneywithme.
You’rethebest,Dad.