IRISS.FM

This episode features a recording of a Sutherland Trust lecture: 'Reforming narratives: is there life after punishment?' presented by Fergus McNeill, Professor of Criminology and Social Work and Head of Sociology at the University of Glasgow. In recent years, criminologists have become increasingly interested in the processes by which people stop and refrain from offending. One important strand of 'desistance' research concerns the sorts of narrative transformations that people experience in becoming 'ex-offenders'. There is clear evidence that especially for those who have been involved in persistent offending (and who have been persistently punished) positive change involves a 're-storying' of the self. The lecture explores the creative process of re-storying, using songs written about, by and with prisoners as resources and illustrations. It also examines the challenges faced when these new stories are unheard or disbelieved. The lecture was held on 29 October 2014 and features songs created by Vox Liminis