ABSTRACT
Social capital is highlighted in desistance and recovery literature as a factor that can assist ex-offenders overcome obstacles to (re)integration. However, little is known about the role of culture and social-structures in shaping social capital, creating employment opportunities, and shaping self-conceptualisations as ex-offenders desist from crime. In this chapter, we provide further insights into the role of culture and social-structures, by undertaking a cross-national comparison of desistance processes of adult males in England and Israel. We explore employment opportunities available for ex-offenders in each country, ease of access to social capital, and participants’ experiences as they desisted. We find that it was easier to mobilise social capital and employment opportunities in Israel than in England, primarily because of differences in the social climate around ‘offenders’, informal social interactions amongst acquaintances in Israel, and because of differences in the social norms related to Jewish culture. Throughout the chapter, we illustrate the manner in which social-structural factors impacted individuals’ behaviours and experiences and brought variance in the social support offered to those recovering from substance misuse.
