Criminology

Ahead of the ninth anniversary of Grenfell, Steve Tombs examines how the Grenfell disaster will test whether UK corporate manslaughter law can finally hold large organisations accountable for avoidable deaths, despite a long history of limited prosecutions and systemic barriers to corporate criminal liability.…Read more

Jade Levell, author of 'Boys, Childhood Domestic Abuse and Gang Involvement', examines child death records to show that knife crime prevention frequently comes too late. Her analysis argues that vulnerable children are repeatedly failed by fragmented systems that miss or overlook early experiences of violence, particularly within the home and at school. #KnifeCrimeAwarenessWeek…Read more

George Miller discusses the What Is It For? book series, inspired by Gauguin’s existential questions, arguing that in an age of global “polycrisis,” critically examining the purpose of institutions can help us imagine better alternatives, even if it cannot solve problems outright.…Read more

Scott Thomas and Jonathan Glazzard, authors of 'The Queer World of Prison', argue that despite government claims of modest reductions, prison education across England and Wales faces deep cuts—up to 65% in some prisons—threatening rehabilitation, prison safety and efforts to reduce reoffending.…Read more

Natalie Rutter and Sarah Waite, editors of 'Women, Relationships & Criminal Justice', argue that nearly two decades after the Corston Report, progress on reforming the criminalisation of women remains slow, and real change requires shifting the justice system from risk-based punishment to relationship-centred care and structural reform.…Read more

Rafe McGregor, author of 'Reducing Political Violence', argues that unprecedented global instability in the 21st century stems from the combined, accelerating crises of eroding political norms, rapid digital transformation, and unaddressed climate change.…Read more

Anna Skeels and Patricia Hynes, authors of 'Human Trafficking of Children and Young People', suggest that the UK’s hostile treatment of trafficked and migrant children undermines their rights and recovery, demanding recognition of exploitation as a form of child abuse.…Read more

John Bahadur Lamb, co-editor of '50 Facts Everyone Should Know About the Police', argues that nostalgic, place-based local policing in England and Wales has been eroded over time and that Police and Crime Commissioners have failed to restore it, adding cost and politicisation without rebuilding public trust.…Read more

The editors of the Journal of Gender-Based Violence argue that digital violence against women extends offline patriarchal abuse and demands urgent feminist action and accountability.…Read more

True crime is a huge cultural industry, yet behind its stories lies real victims and uncomfortable ethical implications. In this podcast, Richard Kemp speaks with Ian Cummins and Martin King about the impact true crime has on society.…Read more