Dr Deborah Russo teaches Criminology at Edinburgh Napier University and previously taught Criminal Law and Criminal Justice at Queen’s University.
Deborah’s PhD at the University of Edinburgh examined isolation in Scottish prisons through a letter-writing project with prisoners. The study deepened her commitment to amplifying marginalised voices and grounding empirical research in the realities of imprisonment. Her research continues to focus on carceral isolation, long-term imprisonment, deaths in custody and the meaning of human contact in restrictive regimes — with a particular interest in how human rights standards are understood and applied in practice.
Prior to academia Deborah was a qualified lawyer who practised in the fields of human rights, prison and public law. After almost two decades of legal practice and advocacy for people in custody, she moved into academia to research the lived experience of imprisonment and the intersection of law, policy and practice.
Across her work — whether in teaching, research, or collaboration with policymakers and third-sector partners — Deborah aims to produce knowledge that is critical, compassionate and grounded in lived experience. She is especially interested in interdisciplinary approaches that bridge academic, legal and practitioner perspectives to make justice systems more humane, transparent and accountable.
Deborah volunteers as a panel member and chair in the Children’s Hearing System.
Recent publications:
Russo, D. (2025). ‘There Is No Such Thing’—Meaningful Human Contact in Prison Under International Law. Howard Journal of Crime and Justice. https://doi.org/10.1111/hojo.70016
Armstrong, S., Barkas, B., Allan, L., & Russo, D. (2025). Do Human Rights Work? Evidence From Prison Death Investigations in Scotland. Howard Journal of Crime and Justice. https://doi.org/10.1111/hojo.70002
Armstrong, S., Allan, L., Russo, D., & Barkas, B. (2025). Deaths in Custody and their investigation in Scotland – 2024. Scottish Centre for Crime & Justice Research (SCCJR)
Deborah took part in the SCCJR Just Humans podcast episode, Letters from Prison: An Exploration of Isolation – SCCJR published 29 Nov 22.
Punishment, Citizenship and Communities
