Abstract
The Women’s Turnaround Project (TWTP) provides female offenders and those at risk of offending with a gateway to multi service support on a voluntary basis via a designated key worker. The project emerged directly out of the recommendations of the Corston Report (Home Office, 2007) and the intention was to establish a ‘women’s centric service’ eventually to be rolled out through Wales and beyond (NOMS, 2007). In this research paper, Plechowicz looked at TWTP’s key worker relationships with those female offenders utilizing the project. Specifically she explored whether attachment theory (as originally defined by J. R. Bowlby and developed by others) helps us to understand the lives and experiences of the women and their engagement with their TWTP key workers. The research was commissioned and published by The Griffins’ Society through their annual Fellowship Programme.
The paper begins with a comprehensive overview of attachment theory (in short the premise that the type of bond a primary caregiver has with their child will form a blueprint of how to deal with future adult relationships (Bowlby, 1989). It includes how attachment styles are developed, the impact of developing insecure attachments and specifically the potential consequences of abuse in childhood on later life. It considers the relationship between insecure attachment styles and engagement with criminal justice practitioners and explores whether an understanding of attachment theory could improve a practitioner’s ability to support his/her client through the process of resettlement. In particular the author refers to Ansbro’s (2008) Probation Journal article which argued that offender managers should try to replicate the secure base (the source of security and reassurance in childhood that is usually a parent) for offenders in order to encourage desistance from crime.
Plechowicz conducted semi-structured interviews with nine of the 21 female ex-prisoners engaging with TWTP during the fieldwork period; the remaining women being deemed too vulnerable by their key workers (six) or having declined interview (six). In order to triangulate the data six (of the seven) TWTP key workers were also interviewed. All interviewees engaged voluntarily and were interviewed wherever they felt most comfortable (most often in their home). Interview transcripts were made anonymous and subsequently analysed in light of theories of attachment as outlined earlier in the paper.
Discussion One explores the client’s attachment to parents during their childhood and adolescence. A number of women described being physically and/or sexually abused at the hands of their parents whilst others were neglected and emotionally abused. The chapter argues that clients working with TWTP are affected by their childhood attachment styles and that lack of a secure base in childhood can result in lack of self esteem, poor trust in others and a desire to find a secure base as an adult.
Discussion Two proposes that in voluntarily engaging with TWTP during the resettlement process women are subconsciously seeking a secure base which is successfully being provided by their relationship with their key worker. The author argues that the personal characteristics and skills of TWTP key workers creates a safe environment in which self esteem and the ability to develop trust can be nurtured and self reliance and independence can be achieved.
Discussion Three highlights good practice of supporting women during the resettlement process and makes numerous suggestions with regards to what can be learnt from the research to improve future practice for all practitioners. Specifically:
TWTP staff, offender managers and other agencies working with female offenders should be introduced to the concepts of attachment theory to improve their understanding of their clients and the role they can play in supporting them;
Recruitment in such agencies needs to focus upon potential staff member’s personal characteristics as well as previous experience and training;
Care to keep caseload levels low in TWTP, the probation service and other agencies should be taken and transfer of cases minimized to maintain secure attachments to professionals;
TWTP should remain a voluntary service providing support indefinitely;
Agencies (including the probation service) should revisit attachment theory and consider the key worker (or offender manager) role in terms of a secure base from which their clients can address their more practical needs in an effort to avoid re-offending. With this in mind the author recommends that more emphasis is placed on fostering relationships with clients in order to reduce reoffending rather than the current focus on meeting court report and assessment targets.
The author does not argue that poor childhood attachments are a cause of later offending; however she concludes that: … failing to consider and address the attachment needs of women during the process of resettlement may amount to a wider failure to provide effective support and supervision. (Plechowicz, 2009: 6)
Is Attachment Theory and the Concept of a ‘Secure Base’ Relevant to Supporting Women During the Process of Resettlement? Observations from The Women’s Turnaround Project, Cardiff by Leeanne Plechowicz (2009) is available for download from: www.thegriffinssociety.org/Research_Paper_2009_02.pdf