Paths of exclusion, inclusion and desistance: Understanding marginalised young people’s criminal careers

In this chapter we draw upon a range of qualitative studies of youth transitions in contexts of social exclusion and multiple deprivation in order, fi rst, to see what they tell us about criminal careers amongst young men in these contexts and, second, to refl ect critically upon and add to contemporary criminological theory about criminal careers, particularly in respect of desistance.