Category: News

Women in prison have key insights into problems and solutions related to imprisonment but their voices are often peripheral, or they are constructed as ‘pathetic’.

There is unrealised potential for prison regulators to network women in prison and families with other regulators (e.g., voluntary sector) to deepen understanding of problems for broader social benefit.

Prison regulators across scales hold potential to illuminate harms of imprisonment and influence alternatives, yet criminologists rarely engage with these mechanisms.

Dr Gill Buck and Philippa Tomczak analyse prisoners’ participatory roles in the ‘transformative’ Corston Report (2007) and The Corston Report 10 Years On, using actor-network-theory to guide document analysis. They reflect on Corston’s calls for a radically different, woman-centred approach to criminal justice.

Read the article here…  

A new paper co-authored by Dr Gill Buck and Dr Philippa Tomczak explores Suicide in prison: The potentials and pitfalls of film-research collaborations.

When somebody dies in prison, grief may not be openly acknowledged. Trauma can be embodied, difficult to express in words.

Collaborative film can centre and validate lived experiences, emotionally engage people, influence understanding, and potentially instigate social change.

BUT, we also need to pay attention to (potential) harms, including the safety of people involved, the potential for emotional pain, and the possibility that nothing might change.

One constructive proposal is wellbeing plans for all collaborators including reflective supervision for researchers.

If harms are considered and collaboratively addressed, co-produced film offers a valuable tool for research dissemination, engaging audiences in new ways and potentially influencing more humane responses to entrenched social problems.

Read the article here…

☎️If you or loved ones are experiencing suicidal thoughts call Samaritans 24/7 on 116 123.

Dr Gill Buck presented her first keynote speech at the Correctional Research Symposium 2025. Practitioners and researchers joined the International Corrections and Prisons Association (ICPA) and the European Organisation for Prison and Correctional Services (EuroPris) for the fourth symposium, hosted by the Northern Ireland Prison Service (NIPS) in Belfast.

 The event explored quality research to direct the design and delivery of correctional services, and to address current challenges of moving from research to practice.

The events key message was that rehabilitative efforts with justice-involved Individuals are not enough and emphasised the importance of being able to engage with, expand and support a broader ecosystem.

Explore Dr Gill Buck’s open access publications on peer-mentoring here

📚 including her paper on The Core Conditions of peer-mentoring

📚 More open access resources on Lived Experience Criminal Justice research

‘Prisoner Leaders: Leadership as Experience and Institution’ is a new innovative book from editors Paula Harriott and Marion Vannier that explores opportunities for the systematic development of prison leadership.

Co-editor, Paula Harriott explains, “Prison leadership is an unmined sea of knowledge, strengthening people as they pass through the justice process.”

The launch event held on the 16 June, brought together practical proposals from a range of authors on facilitating leadership not stereotypes, reducing violence, promoting recovery, and developing meaningful work opportunities. The book is a new step in elevating transformative actions and exploring how fundamental changes to criminal justice can better society as a whole.

Our amazing research team members Kemi and Tasha Ryan talk about Life After Prison in a new podcast. If you’ve not yet heard from the force that is Reformed Development, treat yourself to a listen. Sharing essential messages for social work and criminal justice on love, a human approach and recognising the minefield that is post-prison ‘rehabilitation’.

“We had to create our rehabilitation, and that’s a sad thing”.
Tasha Ryan, Reformed Development

In the episode host Jules speaks to the sisters, who’s organisation was born out of the rejection and discrimination they experienced after coming out of prison. To inspire changes, they work to support other people who have been to prison, and to empower communities with a holistic approach to rehabilitation. Listen to the podcast here…

Trigger warning: podcast references sensitive topics.

We are delighted that our first book chapter from the project will soon appear in the Generative Justice: Beyond Crime and Punishment collection. Team members Emma Murray, Lucía Arias, Gillian Buck, Kemi Ryan and Natasha Ryan‘s chapter is called “Generative Justice in Hindsight: On knowing, doing, and sharing participatory arts-based research with criminal justice-impacted communities”. It explores how seed-planting community practices can help reimagine relationships in criminal justice based on solidarity, reciprocity and collective action rather than exclusion. Pre-order the book here https://bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/generative-justice