‘Set Up to Fail’: The ‘Pains’ of Post‐Prison Transitional Housing as a Barrier to Desistance From Crime

ABSTRACT

Drawing on qualitative data among a sample of people leaving prison in Aotearoa New Zealand, this article explores how post-prison transitional housing impacts desistance from crime and motivation to desist. While transitional housing is designed to support reintegration, our findings reveal that it can also produce unintended impacts—or ‘pains’—which may hinder desistance. Specifically, we identify four key ‘pains’ of transitional accommodation: the pain of unwanted company; the pain of extended carceral reach; the pain of inhibited familial relations; and the pain of financial precarity and housing insecurity. These experiences could undermine residents’ wellbeing, ontological security and capacity to construct and maintain desisting identities. The article contributes to desistance literature by demonstrating how well-intentioned support mechanisms can inadvertently produce barriers to desistance. We conclude with recommendations for policy and practice aimed at reducing these pains and creating post-prison housing environments which support desistance processes.