Criminology and Criminal Justice
Our research interests:
The grouping conducts empirical research on the principal institutions of the criminal justice system, notably the police and policing and probation services, the voluntary criminal justice sector and the courts, together with more theoretically-oriented work on the nature of deviance and social control in contemporary society.
Current members:
Academic Members
Ian Brunton-Smith, Karen Bullock, Rachel Cohen, Jane Fielding, Nigel Fielding, Paul Johnson, Daniel McCarthy, Roger Tarling.
Research Students
Neil Sykes, Maduka Ogbuonye, Ajoy Gossain, John Fox, Richard Warnes, Fiona Wadie, Serena Wright, Linnea Osterman
The group brings sophisticated research designs to bear on analytically-informed and/or policy-relevant topics in contemporary criminal justice. Methodologically the group's expertise covers the full range from ethnographic field studies to quantitative research methods, the secondary analysis of large datasets and archival qualitative data, and on to evaluation research methods. Topically, there is particular strength in policing, the courts and sentencing, prisons, multi-agency interventions, probation, the analysis of criminal statistics and the role of the voluntary sector.
The group was established in 1978. Our previous research includes studies of criminal careers; criminal investigation, including the investigation of murder, and the conduct of major incident inquiries; attitudes to date rape and relationship rape; criminal statistics and risk prevention; police training and socialisation, including international comparative research; the training of lawyers; role conflict in probation officers; the training of probation officers; joint police/social work investigation of child sexual abuse; community policing; Community Service; moral reform movements; police relations with violent children and adolescents; factors affecting the size of the prison population; parole; police decision-making in neighbourhood disputes; police relations with ethnic minorities; children convicted of grave crimes; the public's role in crime prevention; resignation factors in the police; the extent of local area drug misuse; the UK Reassurance Policing initiative; and the measurement and impact of 'signal crimes'.
Among our principal funding sources are the British Academy, Economic and Social Research Council, The Home Office, The Ministry of Justice, The Police Foundation, The Bar Council, The Lord Chancellor's Department, the Commission for Racial Equality, the Policing Standards Unit, CENTREX Bramshill National Police College, the US/UK Educational Commission (the 'Fulbright Commission'), the (US) Federal Bureau of Investigation, Waverley Borough Council, Surrey County Council, Surrey Police Authority, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, the Youth Justice Board and many police and probation services.
Current and planned research:
Current topics of research include
- Asset recovery
- Criminal statistics, survey methodology, advanced quantitative methods, and public opinion research
- Domestic violence
- Early intervention, anti-social behaviour and social control
- Gender and sexuality
- Human rights
- Interventions with offenders
- Neighbourhood and intelligence led policing
- The regulation of family life, stigma and shame
- Parenting work in youth justice
- Policing
- Socio-legal issues around morality, law and sexuality
- Technology and surveillance, securitization and biometrics
- Victims of crime
Doctoral research in the group:
Over 30 doctorates have been awarded under the supervision of group members; many of our graduates continue to careers in government research, the academic world, police forces and probation services. We are pleased to consider theoretically informed and empirical proposals from prospective students.
To find out more, please contact:
Department of Sociology
University of Surrey
Guildford
Surrey GU2 7XH
England
Tel. +44(1483) 686979
Fax. +44(1483) 689551
E-mail: k.bullock@surrey.ac.uk
