Exploring Women’s Experiences of Supported Resettlement: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis

Relatively little is known about the experiences of women within the Criminal Justice System, particularly their support needs and challenges on release from prison/custody. Within the context of the ever-increasing reliance on third-sector services to provide resettlement support, a gap in knowledge relates to the role of mentoring and peer-support services often provided by such services. Questions concern what the benefits might be for women both accessing and providing this type of support and the role this might play in their identity, resettlement, reintegration and eventual desistance. To address this gap in knowledge, an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was conducted to analyse a series of interviews with women at Key Changes, a (now closed) peer-mentoring scheme for female offenders released from two women’s prisons in South Yorkshire. The research sampled both service users and peer-mentors at the service and utilised a range of participatory methods, including Photo Elicitation and repertory grids, within semi-structured interviews. Findings highlighted several Master Themes identified within both service user and peer-mentor experiences, including Stigma and Identity; Trauma, Power and Agency; Community and Capital and Mentoring and Generative Acitivity. Findings are critically discussed in relation to the findings and models of resettlement practice emanating from both the RNR and Desistance literatures, and a number of recommendations for practice and further research are made. All are underpinned by the need for a response to women at all levels of the Criminal Justice System and post-release, which is informed by understanding of gendered trauma.