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Prisons Research Centre

Read more at: New Book: Sensory Penalities: Exploring the Senses in Spaces of Punishment and Social Control
New Book: Sensory Penalities: Exploring the Senses in Spaces of Punishment and Social Control

New Book: Sensory Penalities: Exploring the Senses in Spaces of Punishment and Social Control

27 November 2020

Dr Bethany Schmidt , with Dr Kate Herrity and Dr Jason Warr, have co-edited: Sensory Penalties: Exploring the Senses in Spaces of Punishment and Social Control (Emerald Publishing), which is due to be published in February 2021. The book is available to buy here: https://books.emeraldinsight.com/page/detail/Sensory-...


Read more at: Ben Crewe interviewed for the Growth Uncut podcast

Ben Crewe interviewed for the Growth Uncut podcast

27 November 2020

Professor Ben Crewe has been interviewed for the Growth Uncut podcast: ' Humanity, Pain and Growth'. In this interview he discusses his views on growth within the context of his research around life sentences, and discusses the themes of power, pain and relationships and their association with growth and personal...


Read more at: ‘Ben Crewe, Susie Hulley and Serena Wright’s book: Life Imprisonment from Young Adulthood - online book launch

‘Ben Crewe, Susie Hulley and Serena Wright’s book: Life Imprisonment from Young Adulthood - online book launch

27 November 2020

Professor Ben Crewe , Dr Susie Hulley and Dr Serena Wright’s book: ‘ Life Imprisonment from Young Adulthood ’ was published in January 2020. It is available to buy here: https://www.palgrave.com/gp/book/9781137566003 A recording of their online launch event can be found here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKR1ySvmDFM&...


Read more at: PRC Annual Report 2020

PRC Annual Report 2020

4 November 2020

The PRC Annual Report 2020 is available to download here .


Read more at: Justice Focus - A podcast featuring Professor Alison Liebling

Justice Focus - A podcast featuring Professor Alison Liebling

15 October 2020

Appreciative Inquiry and the moral performance of prisons


Read more at: Oral History of Criminology - Professor Alison Liebling

Oral History of Criminology - Professor Alison Liebling

18 February 2020

Published on 7 Feb 2020: Alison Liebling - Oral History of Criminology: The Prison Officer and the use of authority Interviewed by Diego Zysman Quiros Buenos Aires, Argentina (2018)


Read more at: PRC Annual Report 2019

PRC Annual Report 2019

17 October 2019

Please click here for the latest Annual Report...


Read more at: Are Hope and Possibility Achievable in Prison

Are Hope and Possibility Achievable in Prison

9 January 2019

Please see the Howard Journal of Crime and Justice article.


Read more at: Evaluation of Shared Reading Groups in Psychologically Informed Planned Environments.

Evaluation of Shared Reading Groups in Psychologically Informed Planned Environments.

27 November 2018

Funded by NHS England and HMPPS, this 20-month research project is an evaluation of Shared Reading, a distinct model of reading groups run by The Reader Organisation in Psychologically Informed Planned Environments (PIPEs). PIPEs have been developed jointly by the NHS and HMPPS as part of the Offender Personality Disorder...


Read more at: Sykes Conference 2018

Sykes Conference 2018

23 October 2018

Day 1 - Introduction (Professor Bruce Western) and Plenary 1 (Professor Jonathan Simon) Listen online: https://sms.cam.ac.uk/media/2849751?format=mp3&quality=high Download: https://downloads.sms.cam.ac.uk/2849751/2849757.mp3 Click here for Jonathan Simon's slides Day 1 - Panel Session (Dr Alice Ievins, Dr Alexandra Cox...


Prisons Research at Cambridge University

 

The Prisons Research Centre (PRC) was founded in 2000, under the Directorship of Professor Alison Liebling. The Centre has received funding from a wide range of sources, including the Prison Service/NOMS, the Nuffield Foundation, the Leverhulme Trust, the ESRC, KPMG, the Home Office and UKDS (now Kalyx).


The Cambridge Institute of Criminology Prisons Research Centre aims to provide a stimulating research environment in which a coherent strategy of high quality research can be pursued, and integration between funded and non-funded, and applied and theoretical projects can be facilitated. We investigate how prisons operate, socially, morally and operationally, how they are experienced, and the relationship between these moral and social qualities, and their effects.


Members of the PRC team carry out, individually and collectively, methodologically rigorous and theoretically relevant field-based studies addressing problems of human and social values, punishment practices, and the organisation and effects of aspects of prison life. We strive to forge links with other prisons researchers, scholars in the broader fields of criminology and sociology, and with practitioners. Our vision is to develop a rigorous and person-centred model of social inquiry.


You can read more about the latest projects in our Annual Reports.