Inclusionary control? Theorising the Effects of Penal Voluntary Organisations' Work

• In Event: The Penal Voluntary Sector: Thematic Panel A

Abstract

Recent penal policy developments in many jurisdictions suggest an increasing role for voluntary organisations. Voluntary organisations have long worked alongside penal institutions, but the ways that their programmes affect (ex-)offenders remain ill understood. This paper addresses the unclear and undertheorised implications of voluntary organisations' work with (ex-)offenders, using empirical data from England and Wales, and considering how these findings are relevant in other jurisdictions. It adds nuance to netwidening theory, reframing the effects of voluntary organisations' work as inclusionary and exclusionary, with exclusionary effects having inclusionary aspects, and inclusionary effects being nested within a framework of control. This provides more complete theory and has implications for penal practice.

Author

• Philippa Tomczak, University of Sheffield, UK