Justice capital: A model for reconciling structural and agentic determinants of desistance

The emerging literature on desistance (and recovery from addictions) has focused key life-course transitions that can be characterised as the need for jobs (meaningful activities), friends (transitioning to pro-social) and houses (a home free threat). term ‘recovery capital’ is used characterise personal, social community resources an individual draw upon support their recovery, partly bridging agentic (personal) structural (community) factors. development of concept ‘justice furthers this reconciliation, by focusing access institution provide. We build outlining institutional justice capital (IJC) examine role criminal institutions in supporting or suppressing capital, particularly marginalised groups. use a case study approach, drawing recent studies prisons Australia United Kingdom develop model at level discuss how shape reform matched needs offenders. paper concludes with discussion future directions implementing IJC model, deliver strengths-based approach promoting creating metric assessing rehabilitative activities institutions.