Monthly News Bulletin
Email Bulletin December 2009
Season's Greeting's from the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies' monthly email bulletin, bringing you a roundup of news, research, political developments, events and updates on our work.
WHAT HAVE WE BEEN UP TO?
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The latest issue explores a range of topical issues including the Sonnex case, DNA databases and prospects for change in the US under the Obama administration. We also feature a series of photographs from the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies' What is crime? photography competition.
The magazine also includes a themed section on Visual criminology, edited by Dr Peter Francis of Northumbria University. Dr. Francis, outlines his approach as having `been to bring together a range of practitioner and academic researchers whose work can be broadly described under the heading of visual criminology, in order to showcase their creative and academic work, and to highlight the potential of a criminology that embraces the image and visual culture'. To read Peter Francis' introduction free of charge, click here and the full list of articles can be accessed here.
Risky people or risky societies?
After some delay the first paper in a series of three exploring the policy challenges affecting young adults in trouble with the law is published this month. Written by the Centre's director Richard Garside it critiques the government's reliance on identifying `risky' individuals for targeted interventions. The paper can be read in full here. The second, by Dr James McGuire of the University of Liverpool, challenges the view that coercive interventions can be effective. It will be published in January 2010.
How does the financial crisis affect our health?
Unlike some government statistics, for example most crime statistics, mortality data is unambiguous; there is accurate data on the number of heart attacks, suicides and homicides each year. In this edited transcript of an introduction given at the 198 Contemporary Arts and Learning Gallery as part of the What is crime? project, Dr David Stuckler discusses what the public health effects of the current recession might be. The edited transcript can be read here.
Interested in working for freedom?
New to the Centre is the Works for freedom project, which aims to seek out and network practice that supports anyone caught up in the criminal justice system. Central to the project will be a web resource aimed at practitioners working across different needs and sectors who share our ethos that people with multiple needs should be kept out of the criminal justice system.
The first version of this web resource, due to be launched in early 2010, will focus on housing and homelessness. We are looking for practitioners from this sector who would like to help us test the early versions of the site and give us feedback. If you are interested in helping us shape this new exciting project please email your contact details to
Other stuff
Helen Mills, research associate and Sandra Harper, assistant to the director, went to the launch of a criminal justice alliance edited report called 'Transforming justice: new approaches to the criminal justice system'. Contributions include MP David Howarth's proposal for an expert-led consortium on criminal justice to challenge and advise politicians and the public, and the Centre's director Richard Garside on why Britain has a high prison population. The report can be downloaded here.
Arianna Silvestri, research associate, heard Raj Patel talk about the failure of the market to get things right, in a lecture at the LSE called `The Value of Nothing'. You can listen to the podcast of the event here.
Policy director Will McMahon attended the Legal Action Group's annual lecture and heard Baroness Helena Kennedy speak on the theme of 'Access to justice after New Labour'. Asked about the trajectory of some former civil libertarians now in high flying government appointed legal posts Kennedy commented 'Ambition and cowardice make a powerful combination'.
And it's goodbye from him
The Centre's chair of trustees, Tony Pearson, is stepping down. We will all greatly miss him, but after nearly eight years in office he deserves early release on grounds of his exemplary conduct. Liz Hill, currently one of our vice chairs, will take over from Tony following our AGM on 20 January, 2010.
Also, coming soon...
Will anyone notice if the Conservatives win? Poverty, inclusion and social order over the next decade, Wednesday, 20 January 2010
There's still time to book your place for the Centre's annual event, which will be chaired by Mark Easton of the BBC, leading a discussion on the impact of a possible Conservative general election victory. The expert panel will include James Brokenshire, MP, Julia Unwin, chief executive of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, and Alex Callinicos, Professor of European Studies and Kings College London. The event will take place at 6pm at King's College London. To book a place email your name, organisation and contact number to
Conference: Criminal Justice in an Age of Austerity and Change, Wednesday, 10 March 2010
This conference is jointly hosted by the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies (CCJS), the Centre for Legal Research, University of the West of England, and Centre for Criminal Justice in the Law School at the University of Warwick. It will address two main themes: a discussion of 13 years of New Labour's criminal justice policy and philosophy, and a debate about the future of criminal justice in an era of public spending cuts.
Speakers include Professor Lee Bridges, Professor Andrew Sanders, Professor Ed Cape, Professor, Rod Morgan, Professor Andrew Ashworth, Professor Jackie Hodgson and Professor John Benington. To express an interest in attending this invite-only conference please e-mail with your name, occupation, organisation and contact number.
Local Crime: Community Sentence project
A final evaluation of the Local Crime: Community Sentence (LCCS) project is being prepared by Felicia Silberhorn-Armantrading, project assistant intern, and Roger Grimshaw, research director. As part of the project, questionnaires were completed by over 3000 members of the public who attended meetings about community sentences. The LCCS project is now running in 28 probation areas and anticipates every area participating by the end of 2010. Our evaluation is expected to be published as part of a full report in early 2010.
TAKE A LOOK AT THIS
Monitoring poverty and social exclusion 2009
Poverty, unemployment and repossessions escalate before the onset of recession according to this annual report from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, which assesses a range of subjects including unemployment, education, crime and health. The full report can be accessed here
Whose child now?
Including examples of first hand experiences, this report explores the continuing hidden nature of sexual exploitation of children in the UK and describes what Barnardo's is doing today, 15 years on after establishing their first sexual exploitation project. You can find the report here.
Childhood in Transition: Experiencing Marginalisation and Conflict in Northern Ireland
This report by the Childhood, Transition and Social Justice Initiative at Queen's University Belfast explores the legacy of the Conflict, raises concerns about entrenched inequalities, infrastructural under-resourcing and the systemic denial of children's rights. The report can be downloaded here.
Supporting the Supporters: Families of Drug Misusers
Published by the UK Drug Policy Commission, this UK study reveals the `hidden burden' of families caring for relatives with drug problems. The report can be downloaded here. Staff from the Centre will be attending a Cumberland Lodge conference on drugs policy at which Professor David Nutt will be speaking. Details of which can be found here.
Listen to this
Radio 4's 'Thinking Allowed' has had a series of three programmes about white collar crime, exploring who commits it, the punishment of white collar crime and why corporate crime has been a low priority for criminal justice. You can listen again here.
IN THE NEWS
Core standards and the quality of justice
A letter from Professor Lee Bridges regarding Keir Starmer's plans for `core quality standards' for the Crown Prosecution Service can be read here. The Guardian
Cleaners worth more to society than bankers
A report from the New Economics Foundation claims that a study of the social impacts of several jobs shows that many low-paid workers increase the wellbeing of the nation more than the high-flying and much better-paid financial-sector staff. The Guardian
Setback for Brown as poverty rises
Poverty in Britain is as widespread now as it was in 2000, an authoritative study reveals today, dealing a blow to Gordon Brown's efforts to re-establish his credentials as a champion of the poor. The report shows that poverty, unemployment and home repossessions started rising again in 2004, well before the recession. Financial Times
Tory Child Snatchers: Cameron's tax plans will rob 4.5 million kids
David Cameron was yesterday accused of penalising parents who most need help with his planned tax breaks for married couples. It is argued that more than one in three children will be penalised under these controversial Tory plans. The Mirror
The Thirst
Police apologise for arresting black rock band at gunpoint. The Times online
QUOTE OF THE MONTH
`This state or political subdivision of this state may not create or recognize any legal status identical or similar to marriage.'
Subsection B of the 2005 constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage in Texas.
Read it again. The constitutional attempt to ban gay marriage in Texas may have, in fact, banned all marriage! Whoops... The Daily Beast
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