Dr Danica Darley she/her

Dr Danica Darley is a Research Associate and Principal Investigator at the University of Sheffield, whose research sits at the intersection of criminology, social work, and participatory methodology.

Her ESRC-funded doctoral research examined the experiences of care-experienced young people of child criminal exploitation (CCE), employing care and criminal justice-impacted young people as paid co-researchers. This work has produced a range of practice-facing outputs including an animated film, a national online training resource (SWOTT), and a forthcoming article in Qualitative Research. Danica holds a £337,000 NIHR award as sole PI, investigating social care support for people with neurodisabilities in prison and on release.

She is co-editor of Beyond Autoethnography: Lived Experience Criminology (Taylor & Francis, 2025) and has published in the Oxford Handbook of Criminology, the Howard Journal, Ethics and Social Welfare, and Sociological Research Online. She is Director of Programmes at Experience for Justice and holds advisory board positions at the University of Strathclyde and Newcastle University. Her research consistently centres the knowledge and expertise of those with lived experience of the criminal justice system.

Recent Publications: 

List of a few recent publications:

1. Darley, D. et al. (2026). Realising Reciprocity: Generative Justice as method with care and justice-system impacted young people. Qualitative Research. [forthcoming] 2. Waite, S. and Darley, D. (2025). Problematising ‘vulnerability’ in women’s prisons. Howard Journal of Crime and Justice.

3. Darley, D. et al. (2024). Breaking the Boundaries Collective – A Manifesto for Relationship-based Practice. Ethics and Social Welfare, 18(1), 94–106.

4. Antojado, D., Darley, D. and Maycock, M. (eds.) (2025). Beyond Autoethnography: Lived Experience Criminology. Taylor & Francis.

5. Earle, R., Darley, D. et al. (2023). Convict criminology without guarantees. In The Oxford Handbook of Criminology, 7th ed. Oxford University Press.