Examining the role of sport and physical activity in supporting the early desistance transitions of formerly incarcerated people

Desistance from crime relates to the underlying processes which support the maintenance of a crime free life after a period of offending (Kay, 2016). It is thought to involve not only the termination of offending, but also some level of transformation of self-identity and self-worth, usually presented through a "narrative of change" (Gadd and Farrall, 2004), which is linked to the appropriation and accumulation of new roles and responsibilities (e.g. employee, coach) that are no longer associated with offending. Avenues for transformation and pro-social role development, however, are difficult to come by for many of those recently released from prison, who are disproportionately drawn from socially excluded backgrounds. Given that 48% of adults are reconvicted of within one year of release (PRT, 2019:3), it is vital that more attention is given to ways in which early desistance transitions can be facilitated for this population.

The proposed work aims to investigate the ways in which sport and physical activity programmes can be used to support the initial desistance efforts of former prisoners' post-release, and is guided by the following objectives:
1. To understand the ways in which early desistance efforts are maintained by ex-prisoners, post-release
2. To understand how useful prison-based sport and physical activity programmes are in supporting the initial desistance efforts of ex-prisoners in the community

To address these issues, the proposed study will examine one such prison-based sport and physical activity programme which offers additional support to participants post-release. The Twinning Project (https://www.twinningproject.co.uk) is a national initiative which "twins" Premier League and Football League clubs with local prisons to offer coaching and education provisions to incarcerated offenders with the longer-term aspiration to enhance their employability post-release. The project was devised by David Dein (former vice chairman of the FA), and has received support from the Justice Secretary, Matt Hancock MP, former Justice Secretaries Robert Buckland QC, and other senior members of the Ministry of Justice.

The study will adopt a qualitative methodology, consisting of participant observation and narrative interviews with participants in Twinning Project programmes whilst in prison and after release. The study will follow two cohorts of 12 prisoner participants through their involvement in the Twinning Project course both in prison and as they progress "through the gate" into the community. Cohorts will be identified from two participating clubs/prisons located in the Midlands with up to 24 prisoners in total being selected for involvement in the work. In addition, interviews will be conducted with coaches delivering the course and practitioners from the clubs working in the community. Participating clubs/prisons will be drawn from those delivering well-established programmes that have been successfully delivered for over 12 months before commencement of the proposed work and in discussion with the partner organisation and HMPPS.

The proposed work would be the first of its kind to examine the interdisciplinary fields of sport and physical activity and initial desistance transitions together and, as such, will provide a significant contribution to our understanding of both fields. It will allow for an improved understanding of the ways in which desistance efforts are managed post-release, but also how sport and physical activity can be used to support rehabilitative efforts in the community. While adding to the available knowledge base, it is expected that the project will identify best practice which will benefit the partner organisation and those undertaking sport and physical activity in custodial settings.