Youth Desistance in Transition

Navigating Change in Late Adolescence

Christopher Kay

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Hardback

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English

Routledge
20 October 2025

Social work; Juvenile offenders; Probation services; Criminal justice law; Juvenile criminal law

Series: International Series on Desistance and Rehabilitation

This book offers a new and innovative way of thinking about desistance from crime, fusing our understanding of desistance transitions, youth transitions, and the impact of significant policy change on people with convictions in a way which is yet to be seen in the available desistance literature. It offers a critical account of the ways in which young adults move away from involvement in crime, while also navigating the numerous personal, social, and structural transitions that characterise late adolescence.

By exploring the desistance narratives of young adult men under community supervision in England and Wales during the part privatisation of the probation service, the book demonstrates the immediate impact of significant criminal justice policy change on those on the receiving end of such change. Given the expansion of neoliberal ideas in criminal justice and the ever-changing nature of criminal justice policy across the world, it is vital that we develop a critical understanding of the impact of these changes upon the, often-overlooked, people on the receiving end of them if we are to understand how such changes can be successful. This book provides the first of such discussions, charting the ways in which people with convictions navigate seemingly all-encompassing change to lead a life free from crime.

Youth Desistance in Transition will be of interest to students and scholars of criminology and criminal justice, particularly those focused on understanding desistance pathways. It will also appeal to policymakers and social workers involved with youth justice and rehabilitation.

By: Christopher Kay
Imprint: Routledge
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 234mm, Width: 156mm,
Weight: 580g
ISBN: 9781032915814
ISBN 10: 1032915811
Series: International Series on Desistance and Rehabilitation
Pages: 218
Publication Date: 20 October 2025
Audience: College/higher education , Primary
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Christopher Kay is Senior Lecturer in Criminology at Loughborough University. His interests lie in the areas of desistance from crime, youth transitions, and the role of sports-based interventions in facilitating both.

Reviews for Youth Desistance in Transition: Navigating Change in Late Adolescence

This is a timely and important contribution to desistance research. Drawing on rich, original data, this book sheds light on the transitions from youth to adulthood for those in the criminal justice system. Thoughtful, grounded and compassionate, it deepens our understanding of how young men on probation navigate identity, agency and social structures, and does so in a way that really matters. Dr Jake Phillips, Associate Professor, Institute of Criminology, University of Cambridge This important book offers a compelling exploration of young men navigating desistance from crime in the context of youth transitions. Grounded in rich narratives and practitioner insights, it illuminates how personal agency, social context, and policy intersect to shape early desistance and the journey into adulthood. It is essential reading. Professor Nicola Carr, Trinity College Dublin The transition to adulthood has always been central to criminology – the same act is labelled “delinquency” on one side of that transition and “crime” on the other. Yet, Kay’s rich data and insightful analysis suggest that the nature of this transition is changing as are the concepts of youth and adulthood, themselves. The book is an essential read for reimagining youth justice. Professor Shadd Maruna, University of Liverpool