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Summary
The Crime in Prison: Where now and Where Next report is among the few studies in England and Wales to qualitatively examine how organised crime’s microeconomic structure is displacing prison governance and making prisons less safe.
Impact
In 2018, James Treadwell, Professor in Criminology led a team to investigate the nature, prevalence, and incidence of ongoing criminality in prisons in four Police and Crime Commissioner areas. The research led to a more nuanced understanding of the realities and impacts of crime in prison, and made a series of recommendations.
Impacts include:
- Improved collaborative working practices in 13 prisons in the Midlands region, housing more than 10,000 prisoners. This includes the introduction of weekly Crime Clinics in eight prisons in Staffordshire.
- New protocols and training for investigating crime in Staffordshire prisons, leading to a faster, more standardised process and resource savings.
- The Police and Crime Commissioner for West Mercia has used the research to develop the region’s current Serious and Organised Crime Strategy (published in 2019).
The Research, Innovation and Impact Services team can provide information about all aspects of research at University of Staffordshire.