Institute of Criminology, University of Cambridge

A poster advertising a seminar by Professor Kate Gooch at the Institute of Criminology, on 12 March 2026 at 5 PM.

Our last Lent Term public seminar is coming up next Thursday, by Professor @kategooch.bsky.social from @uniofbath.bsky.social.

'Nothing to lose? State (il)legitimacy, moral communication and prison homicide', will discuss her research on rising prison homicides.

www.crim.cam.ac.uk/events/nothi...

A poster advertising a screening of the documentary 'Holloway' at the Institute of Criminology, on 11 March 2026 at 4:30 PM.

To mark International Women's Day, we will be screening 'Holloway' in the Lower Ground Seminar Rooms.

This documentary explores HMP Holloway, one of the oldest women-only prisons in the UK, as told by the women imprisoned there.

Book your place: www.crim.cam.ac.uk/events/hollo...

A poster advertising a public seminar by Professor Rachel Harmon at the Institute of Criminology, on 5 March 2026 at 5 PM.

One day left before our next Lent Term public seminar by Professor Rachel Harmon, discussing 'Understanding the role of commands in law and policing research'.

Harmon will discuss her research on how police commands can influence police actions.

Book your place: www.crim.cam.ac.uk/events/under...

A poster advertising the PhD conference at the Institute of Criminology, on 28 and 29 April 2026. It includes calls for PhD students to submit abstracts by 15 March, and a link and QR code for them to do this.

Are you a PhD student, researching the most pressing issues of our time? If so, there is still time to submit an abstract for the Institute of Criminology's PhD conference on 28 and 29 April.

If interested, send an abstract by 15 March via the QR code or link below: sites.google.com/view/phdcrim...

A poster advertising a public seminar by Professor Rachel Harmon at the Institute of Criminology, on 5 March 2026 at 5 PM.

Join us this Thursday, for our next Lent Term public seminar with Professor Rachel Harmon.

Harmon's seminar, 'Understanding the role of commands in law and policing research', will discuss coercive policing and how it is shaped by commands.

Learn more and book: www.crim.cam.ac.uk/events/under...

A poster advertising a public seminar by Professor Rachel Harmon at the Institute of Criminology, taking place on 5 March 2026 at 5 PM.

Join our next Lent Term public seminar next Thursday, where Professor Rachel Harmon, Director of the Center for Criminal Justice at the University of Virginia School of Law, will discuss 'understanding the role of commands in law and policing research'.

www.crim.cam.ac.uk/events/under...

A photo of Dr Brandon Langley.

Read our latest interview, with Dr Brandon Langley.

Beginning as a student on the Policing MSt, he progressed to a PhD and is now an Affiliate Lecturer. Here he discussed the experience of teaching on his MSt course, and the new perspectives it gave him.

www.crim.cam.ac.uk/news/intervi...

A poster advertising a seminar given by Dr Helen Kosc at the Institute of Criminology, on 26 February 2026 at 5PM.

Our next Lent Term public seminar will take place tomorrow, with Dr Helen Kosc speaking about ‘Desistance as Temporal Work’, based on her survey of 150 prison-leavers from HMP Bullingdon.

There is still space available on this seminar. Book your place now:
www.crim.cam.ac.uk/events/desis...

A poster advertising for abstracts for the Institute of Criminology's PhD conference.

Just under a month left to submit PhD proposals for our PhD conference, on the subject of ‘Critical crossroads: A criminology that confronts’.

Submit abstracts by 15 March, via the QR code below or on our webpage: sites.google.com/view/phdcrim...

Send questions to: phdcrimconference2023@gmail.com

A poster advertising a public seminar by Dr Helen Kosc, from the Institute of Criminology.

Join Dr Helen Kosc in just under two weeks' time for our next Lent Term public seminar, where she will discuss 'Desistance as temporal work'.

Based on her research into 150 men released from HMP Bullingdon, she will explore what desistance entails.

Book here: www.crim.cam.ac.uk/events/desis...

A poster advertising a seminar by Dr Helen Kosc at the Institute of Criminology.

Join Dr Helen Kosc in just under two weeks' time, for the next of our Lent Term public seminars, where she will discuss' Desistance as temporal work'.

🔗https://www.crim.cam.ac.uk/events/desistance-temporal-work-following-resettlement-journeys-150-prison-leavers-over-18-months

A photograph of Monika.

Monika, a Cambridge Trust scholar from our institute, has had new research published in Economic and Political Weekly, titled 'Feminist Legal Studies in India: A Case for Theoretical Engagement with liberal-normative Concepts'.

Learn about the importance of this research: www.epw.in/journal/pers...

A poster advertising a public seminar given by Professor Stephen Farrall.

Tomorrow we will have the first of the Lent Term public seminars, given by Professor @stephenfarrall.bsky.social from the @uniofnottingham.bsky.social, about New Labour's policy on crime and its effect on crime over individuals' life course.

Learn more and book: www.crim.cam.ac.uk/events/explo...

A poster advertising a public seminar by Professor Stephen Farrall.

One week left until the first of the Lent Term public seminars, given by Professor @stephenfarrall.bsky.social from the @uniofnottingham.bsky.social, about New Labour's policy on crime and its effect on crime over individuals' life course.

Learn more and book: www.crim.cam.ac.uk/events/explo...

A photo of the exterior of the Institute of Criminology.

The latest issue of our alumni newsletter has now been published, showcasing the diversity of our research at the Institute of Criminology.

Read our newsletter here: news.cam.ac.uk/t/cr/AQiQkhI...

A photo of Professor Leo Zaibert leading the workshop on punishment theory and punishment practice.

On 2-3 October 2025, Professor Leo Zaibert hosted a workshop on punishment theory and punishment practice, with Professors Alison Liebling and @bencrewe.bsky.social.

They discussed the biggest questions about punishment in theory and practice.

Learn more: www.crim.cam.ac.uk/news/leo-zai...

A poster advertising a public seminar by Professor Stephen Farrall.

Join Professor @stephenfarrall.bsky.social for this year's first Lent Term public seminars on 12 February, titled 'The effects of New Labour’s social policy agenda on crime over the life-course'.

Learn more and apply: www.crim.cam.ac.uk/events/explo...

A poster advertising the Institute of Criminology's PhD conference, encouraging the PhD researchers to submit abstracts.

We are pleased to announce our fourth annual PhD conference, titled ‘Critical crossroads? A criminology that confronts' on April 28-29, at the Institute of Criminology.

We accept abstracts from PhD students of any institution in response to this theme. Submit here: sites.google.com/view/phdcrim...

A photo of the exterior of the Institute of Criminology.

If you are a senior justice professional, apply for the Executive Programme in Criminology, Sentencing and Justice.

Running from 14 – 25 September 2026, this programme will explore cutting-edge research in criminology.

Applications close 31 January 2026.

www.crim.cam.ac.uk/executive-pr...

A photo of the exterior of the Institute of Criminology.

Applications for our Executive Programme in Criminology, Sentencing and Justice are closing soon.

This two-week programme is ideal for senior professionals who want to make a difference in criminal justice.

Applications are open until 31 January 2026.

Apply: crim.cam.ac.uk/executive-pr...

A photograph of Joanna Foster.

Our newest alumni interview is with former Penology MSt student Joanna Foster.

Foster had several years' experience working with adolescents who start fires. The MSt helped her hear from other perspectives in criminal justice and be challenged in her work.

www.crim.cam.ac.uk/interview-jo...

Why whole-life imprisonment is rising in England and Wales There are currently 74 people serving whole-life sentences.

Associate Professor @jakephillips.bsky.social and Hannah Gilman from Arden University produced valuable research on whole-life sentences in England and Wales.

Their latest paper discusses how these sentences became common, and the implications of this trend.

theconversation.com/why-whole-li...

A photograph of Emily Harrison attending the graduation ceremony for her MPhil.

Congratulations to MPhil graduate Emily Harrison, for receiving the Manuel López-Rey Prize 2025.

This prize is awarded annually for best academic performance on the MPhil. Harrison was ranked first out of her year and wrote her dissertation on 10 years of the Modern Slavery Act.

A photograph of Atticus DeProspo, wearing his graduation gown and holding his MPhil certificate.

Former MPhil student Atticus DeProspo is serving as a merits counsel in Ellingburg v United States, a landmark SCOTUS case challenging the retroactive application of restitution in US law.

Learn more about this case and DeProspo's work: crim.cam.ac.uk/news/mphil-g...

A photograph of Professor Kofi Boakye.

Visiting Scholar Kofi Boakye has published groundbreaking research into Ghana's criminal justice system.

His report on Ghana's death row system was influential in Ghana abolishing the death penalty. This success proves the importance of our research.

Read more: www.crim.cam.ac.uk/news/visitin...

A photograph of the exterior of the Institute of Criminology.

Want to become an innovator in the criminal justice system? Apply for our Executive Programme in Criminology, Sentencing and Justice.

This two-week programme provides cutting-edge research to inspire future leaders in criminal justice.

Learn more and apply: crim.cam.ac.uk/executive-pr...

A photograph of Sir Max Hill KC, former Director of Public Prosecutions and current Radzinowicz Fellow at the Institute of Criminology.

Transcripts and video recordings are now available for the lecture given by Sir Max Hill on 30 October, about the current state of the criminal justice system and how to reform it.

Recording: www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWnP...

Transcript: www.crim.cam.ac.uk/files/the_cr...

A photograph of Shujing Shi.

PhD student Shujing Shi won the Graduate Student Paper Award, given by the American Society of Criminology, for a chapter in her thesis about China's drug trafficking.

The chapter explores levels of risk among participants in illicit drug markets.

Learn more: crim.cam.ac.uk/news/phd-stu...

A photograph of the exterior of the Institute of Criminology, including the 'Criminology' sign above the entrance.

We are excited to announce that a new 2-week Executive Programme in Criminology, Sentencing and Justice is starting in September 2026 and is taking applications.

All senior criminal justice professionals are welcome to apply: www.crim.cam.ac.uk/executive-pr...

The Institute of Criminology is proud to announce that we are now on Bluesky. Follow us for updates on events, courses, and research.