Prisons and the use of imprisonment

ICPR undertakes a wide-ranging programme of research on prisons and the use of imprisonment. This includes UK-based studies on such topics as the use of restorative approaches to tackling conflict in prisons. ICPR also conducts international, comparative research through its World Prison Research Programme, which aims to inform and promote debate and policy reform in collaboration with a wide network of stakeholders and research partners. The Programme encompasses compiling and hosting the World Prison Brief: an online database holding statistics and other information on prison systems worldwide. See www.prisonstudies.org for further information.

Current projects

Consultancy: Dalberg Advisors

Unlocking Potential: towards effective, sustainable, and ethical provision of work opportunities for prisoners and prison leavers

World Prison Brief

Completed projects include:

A Human Rights Approach to Prison Management: Handbook for Prison Staff

Language Barriers in the Criminal Justice System

Restorative Prisons

The criminalization of poverty and status: its implications for prison systems and penal reform in Africa, the Caribbean, South Asia and the Pacific

Understanding and reducing the use of imprisonment in ten countries

Winston Churchill Memorial Trust

Publications

Coyle, Andrew and Fair, Helen (2018) A Human Rights Approach to Prison Management: Handbook for Prison Staff (3rd edition). London, UK: Institute for Criminal Policy Research Birkbeck, University of London. ISBN 9780907904335.

Fair, Helen and Jacobson, Jessica (2018) Process evaluation of the Restorative Prisons project. Project Report. Restorative Solutions, London, UK.

Walmsley, Roy (2017) World Female Imprisonment List (4th edition). Institute for Criminal Policy Research, London

Jacobson, Jessica and Fair, Helen (2017) Sense of self and responsibility: a review of learning from the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust Prison Reform Fellowships – Part V. Project Report. Prison Reform Trust, London, UK.

Fair, Helen and Jacobson, Jessica (2017) Peer relations: Review of learning from the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust Prison Reform Fellowships – Part IV. Other. Prison Reform Trust, London, UK.

Walmsley, Roy (2017) World Pre-trial/Remand Imprisonment List (3rd edition). Institute for Criminal Policy Research, London