ABSTRACT
Chapter 6 examines the barriers to positive growth and desistance from crime in prison. Challenges that are inherent to the prison environment include the abrupt transition into the prison world, and other various intricacies that are specific to the prison setting. Structural impediments, namely inequality, exposure to strain, and limited support provided by the facility staff, hamper efforts to achieve positive transformation. In addition, positive growth is particularly challenging for individuals with limited social and human capital, as well as for historically marginalized groups. The individual barriers to desistance and positive transformation include unresolved suffering, intense anger, and the feeling of perceived injustice. This chapter also discusses the various strategies developed to cope with long-term incarceration, as well as the potential incompatibilities between adaptation to prison and post-release reintegration efforts.
