Using Desistance Narratives as a Pedagogical Resource in Criminology Teaching.

Desistance is the study of pathways out of offending and desistance narratives are expressions of 'going straight'. This paper explores the impact of using desistance narratives in criminology teaching. A lecture around desistance was delivered and students at an English University completed a questionnaire (n = 82) to establish perceptions of offenders, the UK criminal justice system and the relationship between desistance and peer work, which is one possible "hook for change." Data was also collected around students' future employability aspirations in the criminal justice system. Key findings suggest that real-life desistance narratives challenged expectations of the criminology syllabus, humanized offenders and proved effective when delivered by an ex-criminal justice practitioner. The session allowed some students to envisage a future self in the criminal justice system. As future practitioners, criminology graduates need to understand desistance theory and application. Desistance is absent from the Quality Assurance benchmark for criminology in the UK [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]