I’ve previously tweeted about the label of “offender”. There have been discussions of whether this term hinders desistance, as it defines the previous behaviour, instead of enabling moving on towards a new identity. I have seen other terms such as
client, service user, ex-offender, reformed offender, and citizen amongst others. However, I’m yet to speak with someone who can offer a label free term that they are comfortable with. In the research that I am currently undertaking, I have also been thinking if the language of job titles can also influence desistance.
client, service user, ex-offender, reformed offender, and citizen amongst others. However, I’m yet to speak with someone who can offer a label free term that they are comfortable with. In the research that I am currently undertaking, I have also been thinking if the language of job titles can also influence desistance.
I have spoken with some individuals currently being supervised, who do not like the terms Offender Manager or Offender Supervisor. In part I think that this can be attributed to habit; the same way we can catch ourselves calling Community Payback by its’ former term Community Service. However, there also are deeper meanings to the aversion towards this language. One individual described it quite elegantly as:
“The titles Offender Manager and Supervisor give the impression that we cannot control our lives. Like being unqualified in a job and not capable.”
This description suggests that the language used in job titles given to staff, could contribute to an individual’s feeling that they are not perceived as able of controlling their behaviour. If this is the case, perhaps this feeling could be internalised and could contribute to a sense of hopelessness. When Juliet muses about her love Romeo:
“What's in a name? That which we call a rose
by any other name would smell as sweet”
by any other name would smell as sweet”
Does this also apply when it comes to being supervised by Probation staff? Or could it be argued that job titles frustrate desistance?
I think offender manager tends to reinforce the notion of a surveillance model of supervision whereas probation officer reflects a welfare model of supervision ( see Healy, 2012). It's the classic binary of care and control. We need to think carefully about the type of role these labels infer and the implications for desistance.
ReplyDeleteI see what you mean. Although the roles may be described as similar or the same, the impression that the titles give can be different; even hindering desistance in some cases.
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