Collaboration of Researchers for the Effective Development of Offender Supervision (CREDOS)

CREDOS is an international network of researchers, and policy and practice partners in research, who share a common interest in the effective development of offender supervision. It was established following a seminar in prato, Italy in september 2007. CREDOS aims to support, encourage and engage in high quality, collaborative and comparative research and scholarship exploring:
 
How best to measure effectiveness in offender supervision
The nature and features of effective offender supervision
The characteristics, styles and practices of effective offender supervisors
The qualities and features of effective relationships between offenders and those that work with them
The social, political, cultural, organisational and professional contexts of effective offender supervision and how these contexts impact upon it
 
In pursuing this agenda, CREDOS is committed to:
 
Pursuing our research agenda through a diverse range of research methods, recognising that methodological pluralism is necessary to yield the insights required to move policy and practice forward
Undertaking collaborative and comparative research wherever possible, so that lessons can be learned about what works in specific national and local contexts and about whether and to what extent there are practices in and approaches to offender supervision that work across diverse contexts
Exploring issues of diversity amongst offenders in relation to effective supervision
Working to engage offenders and their families in the research process, recognizing the value and importance of their insights into effective practice and what works for them
 
CREDOS Activities
CREDOS exists to progress these objectives principally by enabling its members to engage in ongoing discussion about their work and, where possible, to encourage them to work together. The network allows for ongoing electronic communication about relevant research and also aims to meet annually, usually scheduling these meetings to coincide with other conferences of likely interest to members. The next meeting of CREDOS (a two day seminar) will precede or follow the European Society of Criminology’s annual conference in Edinburgh on 3-5th September 2007.
 
If you are active in relevant research and would like to become a member of CREDOS, please contact Fergus McNeill at F.McNeill@www.sccjr.ac.uk