Life Beyond Murder: How mandatory lifers reconstruct their lives post-release

• In Event: Characteristics of violent offenders

Abstract

Are the resettlement experiences of different types of homicide offenders comparatively unique based on the specifics of their crime and their criminal careers? This book aims to find an answer to this question. It explores longitudinally the resettlement narratives of 5 men who have committed different types of murder (confrontational/revenge, financial gain, random, intimate partner femicide, and family feud) and are released into the community.

The discussion is guided by the men’s narratives and follows a ‘tug of war’ metaphor to explore how a series of ‘push-pull forces’ influence the men’s efforts to reconstruct their lives in the years following their release. For example, the book explores the role of mandatory lifers’ families, consumer culture, institutionalisation, emotions, as well as supervision. It considers whether these factors hamper or assist with their role transition from the stigmatising identity of a being ‘dangerous murderers’ to pro-social identities such as that of philanthropists, family men, wounded healers, and pious members of the church.

It is argued that to be successful, these men have reconciliate a paradoxical situation. The most skilled mandatory lifers manage to relativize their involvement in murder whilst concomitantly showing remorse. This paradoxical situation is achieved through a Splitting Narrative that ultimately defends against anxiety, contains internal stigma, and often showcases self-flagellant remorse.

Author

• Dan Gabriel Rusu, Lecturer at Birmingham City University