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News

An open letter about the Whole Life Custody draft proposal by Liam Kerr MSP

26th August 2019

Dr Hannah Graham (Stirling) and Prof Fergus McNeill (Glasgow) have written an open letter to Liam Kerr MSP in response to his proposal to introduce a whole life custodial sentence. In their letter Dr Graham and Prof McNeill argue that the proposals are ‘as regressive and problematic in principle as it would prove to be in practice’ and say existing arrangements in Scotland “for dealing...

Victim-Survivors of rape don’t feel justice has been met, even if the accused goes to prison

22nd August 2019

The Scottish criminal justice process leaves those who have reported a rape or serious sexual assault feeling marginalised and with little control regardless of their case’s outcome, a new study has found. Researchers from the Scottish Centre for Crime and Justice Research at the University of Glasgow interviewed victim-survivors who have...

Successful new grant funding to help safeguard Nepalese and Burmese heritage

21st August 2019

Dr Emiline Smith, Lecturer in Art Crime and Criminology at the University of Glasgow, and Lead Applicant of the project ‘Global synchronization and the illicit antiquities trade: understanding community crime prevention in post-earthquake Nepal and Myanmar’, has won funding from the GCRF Small Grants. Together with Phacharaphorn Phanomvan na...

The Market for Mesoamerica: new book co-edited by Donna Yates and Cara Tremain

21st July 2019

We are happy to let you know that a new book, The Market for Mesoamerica: Reflections on the Sale of Pre-Columbian Antiquities, co-edited by SCCJR’s own Dr Donna Yates and Dr Cara Tremain is now available through the University Press of Florida. Abstract: Pre-Columbian artifacts are among the most popular items on the international...

BBC Radio 3 to feature Alistair Fraser’s ‘Hard Man in the Call Centre’ Essay

19th June 2019

SCCJR’s Alistair Fraser will feature on BBC Radio 3’s The Essay programme on Friday evening (21 June). Recorded with an audience at the York Festival of Ideas his essay, Hard Man in the Call Centre’ traces the story of Glasgow’s unpredictable tough guy, schooled in both fist and knife, a symbol of the city’s...

New project shines light on domestic abuse in Scotland

10th June 2019

A new community art project will see women who have been victims of domestic abuse create a stained glass window to illustrate their experiences. GlassWalls is led by Dr Emma Forbes, whose PhD thesis explored victims’ experiences of the court process and accessing justice. Her work included listening to stories of many women across Scotland and...

Prof Michele Burman Recognised in Queen’s Birthday Honours

10th June 2019

SCCJR’s founding co-director Michele Burman, Professor of Criminology and Head of the School of Social and Political Sciences, has been made CBEs (Commanders of the British Empire) in the Queen’s Birthday Honours. Michele has a long-standing research interest in violence against women, in particular the criminal justice response to...

Scottish Parliament Justice Committee Consultation Responses on the Presumption Against Short Sentences (PASS)

28th May 2019

Colleagues from the Scottish Centre for Crime and Justice Research (SCCJR) have responded to the Scottish Parliament’s Justice Committee which is holding a consultation on the Presumption Against Short Sentences (PASS). The Scottish Government had stated that it would extend the presumption against short sentences to 12 months which will be...

Less isolation and more access to family crucial for young people’s wellbeing in custody

21st May 2019

An evidence review on mental health and wellbeing of young people in custody has identified that prisoners should not be isolated or denied access to family or support, and that time outside of their cells should be maximised. The review, which was co-written by Dr Sarah Armstrong, Director of the Scottish Centre for Crime and Justice Research...

SCCJR’s Niall Hamilton-Smith contributes to BBC story on serious organised crime

14th May 2019

BBC Reporting Scotland carried a news item today (Tues 14 May) on the National Crime Agency’s report which warned the UK “can’t afford not to” spend an extra £3bn on fighting organised crime over the next three years. The NCA estimates there are at least 181,000 offenders linked to serious and organised crime in the UK...

Graphic Novel Brings Life to Prison Sentences

30th April 2019

A NEW graphic novel aims to bring life to a Scottish woman’s story of trauma, substance abuse and prison. ‘A Life in Pieces’ is the work of Dr Marguerite Schinkel, a lecturer in Sociology based at the Scottish Centre for Crime and Justice Research, University of Glasgow and illustrator Morag Kewell, and follows the story of ‘Alison’ as...

Lectureship in Global/Transnational Criminology at Edinburgh

10th April 2019

The School of Law at the University of Edinburgh is looking to appoint a new Lecturer in Criminology with a specialism in global (including transnational, international or comparative) criminology to join a collegiate and committed group of criminological scholars and students in a world-leading institution. The successful candidate will have excellent teaching and research abilities in the field...

SCCJR Response to Dr John Marshall comments on psychiatric assessment of children

3rd April 2019

On Tuesday 2 April an article appeared in the Scotsman newspaper by Dr John J Marshall, head of forensic clinical psychology services at the State Hospital’s board for Scotland; ‘Some social workers in denial about child psychopaths.’ A follow-up article from The Times included comments from SCCJR Director, Sarah Armstrong, where she...

New research network for Early Career Researchers (ECRs) with an interest in punishment launched

2nd April 2019

A new research network called Perspectives from the Edges of Exclusion and Punishment(PEEP) has launched to support Early Career Researchers (ECRs). The network has been launched by Dr Cara Jardine (Strathclyde) and Dr Louise Brangan (Stirling) as a supportive space where members can forge solidarity between ECRs from across disciplines and...

SCCJR responds to Scottish Government’s Consultation on Transforming Parole in Scotland

27th March 2019

The Scottish Centre for Crime and Justice Research (SCCJR) has today responded to the Scottish Government’s Consultation on Transforming Parole in Scotland. The response, produced by Prof Fergus McNeill, Dr Marguerite Schinkel (Glasgow) and Dr Hannah Graham (Stirling) outlines four key points; We advocate further consideration and...

Do disabled people experience discrimination in the criminal justice system?

1st March 2019

A new inquiry led by the Equality and Human Rights Commission into whether people with mental health conditions, cognitive impairments and neuro-diverse conditions, including autism and ADHD, are experiencing discrimination and being put at risk of miscarriages of justice due to a lack of support in the criminal justice system, has been...

Study finds criminal record tick box failing employers and job applicants

4th January 2019

Criminal record declarations often do little to accurately predict the risk of re-offending among potential recruits, new research has found. But asking people to declare convictions upfront may put people off applying for jobs whilst offering employers a false sense of security. The Scottish Centre for Crime and Justice Research paper, Time for...

Alistair Fraser wins award from Hong Kong Studies Association

13th December 2018

A paper co-authored by Dr Alistair Fraser, Senior Lecturer in Criminology and Sociology, University of Glasgow has won an ‘outstanding paper’ award from the Hong Kong Studies Association. The paper is called ‘The Second Life of Kowloon Walled City: Crime, Media and Cultural Memory’ and was presented by Alistair at the Association’s...

SCCJR to join new Scottish Government Victim Taskforce

12th December 2018

SCCJR is set to join a new expert group which will today meet for the first time to improve support, advice and information for victims of crime. Co-chaired by the Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf and Lord Advocate James Wolffe QC, the Victims Taskforce brings together senior decision-makers from justice agencies, the legal profession, academia and...

Offenders view short-term sentences as waste of time

28th November 2018

Unlike long-term prisoners, those with short, repeated sentences rarely view such prison terms as transformative or effective at rehabilitation or deterrence, says a recent study among prisoners themselves into the meaning of serving short-term prison sentences repeatedly and over a long period of time. In a three-year study, SCCJR’s Dr...