French probation services operate without much knowledge of criminological literature. Thus they have never heard of desistance. This research aimed at verifying whether they nonetheless had an overall idea of what it takes to desist and whether they helped offenders with obstacles to desistance. Their opinions were contrasted to those of other practitioners and the views of desisters. Despite the methodological limitations of this small scale study, one can nonetheless attempt to formulate a few conclusions: French probation services have a good idea of what it takes to desist, but have neither the capacity nor the will to effectively help offenders to do so. Their perception is for the most part confirmed by desisters. However, they differ on several desistance factors such as peers and budget. Another French trait is revealed: both practitioners and desisters think that Making Good (Maruna, 2001) is irrelevant. Some cultural factors are suggested in order to try and explain this surprising discovery.
AdondoM. (2011, La recherche en criminologie en France est-elle possible? A quelles conditions?, Exemple du recueil de données dans l'étude du filicide-suicide, Thèse de psychologie, Université de Rennes II.
2.
AncelM. (1966), La défense sociale nouvelle. Un mouvement de politique criminelle humaniste, Cujas, Paris, 2nd ed. — In English: Social Defence: a modern approach to criminal problems, International Library of Sociology and Social Reconstruction, Routledge and K. Paul, 1965.
3.
ArièsP.DubyG., (2000), Histoire de la vie privée (five volumes), Seuil, Paris.
4.
AutiesM., (2011), ‘Eléments pour une généalogie des politiques d'insertion en France’, in MbanzoulouP.CourtineS.Herzog-EvansM. (ed.), L'insertion des personnes places sous main de justice, L'Harmattan, Paris.
5.
AzriaR. (2003), Le fait religieux en France, La Documentation française.
6.
BarryM. (2007), ‘The transitional pathways of young female offenders: Towards a non-offending lifestyle’, in SheehanR.McIvorG.TrotterC., What Works with Women Offenders?, Willan, 2007: 23–39.
7.
de BeaurepaireC. (2009), Non-lieu. Un psychiatre en prison, Fayard, Paris.
8.
BaurébotJ. (2010), Histoire de la laïcité en France, PU.F. Paris.
9.
BucklenK. B.ZajacG. (2009), ‘Resource Deprivation and Thinking Errors as Determinants of Parole Sucess and Failure’, The Prison Journal, 89 (3): 239–264.
10.
BurkeB.ArkowitzH.DunnC. (2002), Motivational Interviewing: Preparing People for Change, 2e ed., Guilford Press, New York.
11.
Commission Nationale Consultative des Droits de l'Homme (CNCDH) (2007), Sanctionner dans le respect des droits de l' homme, Volume II, Alternatives à la détention: du contrôle judiciaire à la libération conditionnelle, Documentation Française, Paris.
12.
Commission Nationale de la Criminologie (2010), Rapport à Mme le ministre de l' Education..
13.
CyrulnikB., (2002), Un merveilleux malheur, Odile Jacob, Paris.
14.
CyrulnikB., (2004), Les villains petits canards, Odile Jacob, Paris.
15.
DanetJ.GrunvaldS.Herzog-EvansM.Le GallY, Prescription, amnistie et grâce en France, Dalloz, Paris, 2008.
16.
DubourgE. (2007), Aménager la fin de peine, L'Harmattan, Paris. Ecole Nationale de l'Administration Pénitentiaire (ENAP), Données socio-démographiques/Conseillers d'insertion et de probation, covering the last seven years, available athttp://www.enap.justice.fr/eleves/conseillersinsertionprobationdonnees.php, consulted August 3, 2010.
17.
FarrallS. (2002), Rethinking What Works with Offenders: Probation, Social context and Desistance from Crime, Willan Publishing, Cullompton.
18.
FarrallS.CalverleyA. (2007), Understanding Desistance from Crime. Theoretical directions in resettlement and rehabilitation, McGuire, Maidenhead.
19.
FarringtonD.GallagerB.MorleyL.St LedgerR. J.WestD.J. (1986), ‘Unemployment, school leaving and crime’, British Journal of Criminology, 26 (4): 335–356.
20.
FregossiF.BoubekerA. (2006), L'exercice du culte musulman en France — Lieux de prière et d'inhumation, La Documentation Française.
21.
FurlongA.CartmelF. (2007), Young People and Social Change: New perspectives.Open University Press, Berkshire.
22.
GiordanoP. C.CernkovichS.A.RudolphJ. L., (2002), ‘Gender, Crime, and Desistance: Toward a Theory of Cognitive Transformation’AJS107 (4): 990–1064.
GottfredsonM.HirschiT. (1990), A general theory of crime.Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press.
25.
HankinsonI.Priestley (2011), “Diversity and effectiveness in Probation: The One-to-One Programme in West Mercia”, Probation Journal, Vol. 57 (4), pp. 383–399.
26.
Herzog-EvansM. (2007), Droit de l'exécution des peines, Dalloz, Paris, 3rd ed. (4th ed. Forthcoming, 2011).
27.
Herzog-EvansM. (2009), ‘Application des peines: La prétendue « bonne partie » de la loi pénitentiaire’, AJPénal 2009, pp. 483–490.
28.
Herzog-Evans (2010c), ‘Loi pénitentiaire n° 2009–1436 du 24 novembre 2009: Changement de paradigme pénologique et toute puissance administrative’, Recueil Dalloz, 2010: 31–38.
29.
Herzog-Evans (2011), ‘Judicial Rehabilitation in France. Helping with the desisting process and acknowledging achieved desistance’, EJprob, Vol. 3, No.1: 4–19.
30.
Herzog-EvansM. (forthcoming), ‘French Penological Tradition, theories and practices’.
31.
KaufmannJ.-C., (2008), L'enquête et ses méthodes. L'entretien compréhensifArmand Colin, Paris, 2nd ed..
32.
KenseyA. (2007), Prison et récidive, Armand Collin, Paris.
33.
KruttschnittC.UggenC.SheltonK., (2000) ‘Predictors of Desistance amongst Sex Offenders. The Interaction of Formal and Informal Social Control’, Justice Quaterly, 17 (1): 61–87.
LeBelT.P. (2007) ‘An Examination of the Impact of Formerly Incarcerated Persons Helping Others’, Journal of Offender Rehabilitation, Vol. 46 (1/2),.pp. 1–24.
36.
LeBelT.P.BurnettR.MarunaS.BushwayS. (2008), ‘The ‘Chicken and Egg’ of Subjective and Social Factors in Desistance from Crime’, European Journal of Criminology, 5 (2): 131–159.
37.
LhuilierD. (2007), Changements et construction des identités professionnelles: les travailleurs sociaux pénitentiaires, Rapport final, Direction de l'administration pénitentiaire, Ministère de la Justice, July.
38.
LyngstadT. H.SkardhamarT., ‘Does research on marriage and crime have policy implications?’, European Journal of Criminology, 7 (3): 235–238.
39.
MacDonaldR.MarshJ. (2005), Disconnected Youth? Growing up in Britain's poor neighbourhoods, Palgrave Macmillan, Basingstoke.
40.
MartinsonR. (1974), ‘What Works? Questions and answers about prison reform’, The Public Interest, March, 22–54.
41.
MbanzoulouP.CourtineS.Herzog-EvansM., (ed.) (2011), L 'insertion des personnes placées sous main de justice, L'Harmattan, Paris.
42.
McCordJ. (1994), ‘Crimes through time. Review of R.J. Samson and J.H. Laub, Crime in the making: Pathways and turning points through life’, Contemporary Sociology, 23, 414–5.
43.
McNeillF.WhyteB. (2007) Reducing Reoffending: Social Work and Community Justice in Scotland.Cullompton: Willan Publishing.
44.
McNeillF (2009), Towards Effective Practice in Offender Supervision.Glasgow: Scottish Centre for Crime and Justice Research, available at www.sccjr.ac.uk/documents/McNeil_Towards.pdf.
45.
McNeillF. (2010), “La désistance: What Works et les peines en milieu ouvert en Ecosse”, Ajpénal, pp. 376–380.
46.
McNeillP.RaynorTrotterCh., (eds.) (2010), Offender Supervision. New Directions in Theory, Research and Practice, Cullompton: Willan Publishing.
47.
MarunaS. (2001), Making Good. How Ex-Convics Reform and Rebuild their Lives, American Psychological Association.
48.
MarunaS.ImmarigeonR.LeBelT. (2004), ‘Ex-Offender reintegration: Theory and practice’, in MarunaS.ImmarigeonR. (eds.), After Crime and Punishment. Pathways to Offender Reintegration, Willan, Cullompton, pp. 3–26.
49.
MarunaS.LeBelT. (2010), “Les apports de l'étude de la désistance à la réinsertion”, Ajpénal 2010, pp. 367–371.
50.
PélissierP.PerrierY, (2009), ‘France’, in DurnescuI.van Kalmthout (dir), Probation in Europe, Wolf Legal Publishers, Nijmegen: 351–380.
51.
PerryD.BarrowsR. (2009), ‘The Interpretation of Dreams’, Eurovista, Vol. 1 (2), pp. 72–78.
52.
PlaA. (2009), ‘Bilan démographique 2008. Plus d'enfants de plus en plus tard’, Insee Première, n° 1220.
53.
RaynorP.UgwudikeP.VanstoneM., ‘Skills and strategies in probation supervision: The Jersey study’, in McNeillF.RaynorP.TrotterC. (eds.), Offender Supervision. New directions in theory, research and practice, Willam, Cullompton, pp. 113–129.
54.
RémondR. (2005), L 'invention de la laïcité française: de 1789 à demain, Bayard Centurion, Paris.
55.
ReufletK., ‘France’, in PadfieldN.van Dirk SmitD.DünkelF., (eds.) (2010), Release from Prison. European Policy and Practice, Willan Publishing, Cullompton.
56.
RobinsonG.McNeillF. (2008), ‘Exploring the Dynamics of Compliance with community Penalties’, Theoretical Criminology, 2008, Vol. 12, p. 431–449.
57.
RobinsonG. (2010), “Réformer la probation en Angleterre et au Pays de Galles: Revisiter l'influence de What Works”, AJpénal, pp. 381–388.
58.
SaleillesR. (1898) L'individualisation de la peine. Etude de criminalité sociale, Paris, (reed. 2003, by Book Surge Publishing, with a pref by G. Tarde) — In English (translation): Individualization of Punishment, Petterson Smith, 1968.
59.
SampsonR. J.LaubJ. H. (1993), Crime and deviance over the life-course: The salience of adult social bonds', American Sociological Review, 55: 609–627.
60.
SheenanR.McIvorG.TrotterC., (eds.), (2007), What Works with Women Offenders, Willan Publishing, Cullompton.
61.
SobotkaT.ToulemonL. (2009), ‘Changing family and partnership behaviour: Common trends and persistent diversity across Europe’, Demographic Research, Vol. 19. n° 6: 85–138.
62.
TeyssiéB. (2010), Droit des personnes, Litec, Paris.
63.
TheobaldD.FarringtonD., (2009), ‘Effects of getting married on offending: Results from a prospective longitudinal survey of males’, European Journal of Criminology, 7 (3): 239–247.
64.
TheobaldD.FarringtonD., (2010), ‘Should policy implications be drawn from research on the effects of getting married on offending?: A response to Lyngstad and Skardhamar, European Journal of Criminology, 7 (3): 239–247.
65.
TournierP V, (1991), La détention des mineurs, observation suivie d'une cohorte d'entrants, Cesdip, Études et données pénales, no 62.
66.
TournierP. V.MaryF. L.PortasC., (1997), Au-delà de la libération. Observation suivie d'une cohorte d'entrants en prison, Etudes et données pénales, CESDIP, n° 7.
67.
TrotterC. (2006), Working with Involuntary Clients. A Guide to Practice, Sage, London, 2nd ed.
68.
TrotterC. (2010), ‘Travailler efficacement avec les délinquants’, Ajpénal, pp. 371–376.
69.
UggenC. (1999), ‘Ex-Offenders and the Conformist Alternative: A Job Quality Model of work and Crime’, Social Problems, 46 (1): 127–151.
70.
UggenC.KruttschnittK. (1998), ‘Crime in the breaking: Gender differences in desistance’, Law and Society review, 32 (2): 339–366.
71.
UggenC.StaffJ. (2001), ‘Work as a Turning Point for Criminal Offenders’, Corrections Management Quarterly, 5 (4): 1–16.
72.
Van KalmthoutA. M.DurnescuI. (2008), Probation in Europe, Wolf Legal Publishers, Nijmegen.
