Chance to Change Pilot Evaluation

The scheme to defer the prosecution of low-level offenders has highlighted key benefits, including avoiding criminalisation and associated negative social impact, but has demonstrated challenges, such as addressing racial disparities.


New research shows one in three children who’ve been in care enter youth justice system

Children who’ve been in care are disproportionately likely to have youth justice involvement


Care Experience, Ethnicity and Youth Justice Involvement: Key Trends and Policy Implications

This briefing is based on descriptive findings from an ADR UK (Administrative Data Research UK) Research Fellowship project


‘We Need to Tackle Their Well Being First’: Understanding and Supporting Care-Experienced Girls in the Youth Justice System

This article presents novel findings from interviews with 17 girls and young women and eight Youth Offending Team (YOT) staff, highlighting how being in care can affect offending behaviour and how YOTs may provide support to care-experienced girls who have been inadequately supported elsewhere.


Confronting intergenerational harm: Care experience, motherhood and criminal justice involvement

This paper explores how criminalisation, care experience and motherhood may intersect to produce multi-faceted structural disadvantage within both systems of care and punishment.


The Manchester International Crime and Justice Film Festival 2023

Welcome to the 2023 festival sponsored by the Department of Sociology at Manchester Metropolitan University and curated by staff from the university’s Policy Evaluation and Research Unit (PERU).


A Difficult Balance: Challenges and Possibilities for Local Protocols to Reduce Unnecessary Criminalisation of Children in Care and Care Leavers

This article explores the challenges and possibilities of using local agreements to divert children in care and care leavers away from formal justice systems contact.


Trauma and Community Justice

A new issue of the British Journal is now available. The theme which presents itself across the papers in this open issue is that of trauma – of individuals and of communities – where the social and psychological concerns of individuals intersect with the criminal justice system and wider structural problems within society.


The Manchester Crime and Justice Film Festival 2022

Venue: Online, May 2022


PERU events at Insights ’22

The PERU team are supporting this year’s Insights ’22 Festival co-ordinated by Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (online, 11-20 May 2022)


Ethnicity and the Criminal Justice System

Venue: Manchester Metropolitan University
26th November 12 - 4


Hate Crime Reporting – Insights from the UK

Discussion of lessons learned from the development of third party hate crime reporting centres (TPRCs) in the UK.


The Future of Probation: Post-Unification

Venue: On-line
Wednesday 3rd November from 13.00 to 16.30


Evaluation of the impact of alcohol minimum unit pricing (MUP) on crime and disorder, public safety and public nuisance

An Evaluation of the Minimum Unit Pricing (MUP) of alcohol in Scotland finds that the introduction of minimum unit pricing of alcohol had a minimal impact on drink-related crime.


College Behind Bars – Educating for Change

Venue: On-line
Wednesday 20th October from 17.00 to 18.30


A Rapid Evidence Assessment of the impact of probation caseloads on reducing recidivism and other probation outcomes

Rapid Evidence Assessment finds a growing body of evidence that lower probation caseloads have a positive impact in terms of reducing reoffending in the USA.


Philosophy behind bars: Growth and development in prison

A ground-breaking study about how teaching philosophy in prisons helped long-term prisoners build positive relationships, trust and explore what it means to live a good life


Mentoring: Can you get too much of a ‘good thing’? Proposing enhancements to the ‘effectiveness framework’ of the England and Wales Prison and Probation Service

Using data from the Social Finance UK Database and focusing on SIBs in the US and UK, Olson et al. evaluate whether the SIB approach aligns with the theoretical predictions of social innovation.


Trust in probation practice

The British Journal of Community Justice has published a new blog by Denis Sidebottom on trust and relational probation practice.


CRIME and JUSTICE Film Festival Events now available to stream

Recordings of events from this year's Manchester CRIME and Justice Film Festival are now available to stream.


A Rapid Evidence Assessment To Assess The Outcomes Of Community And Custody Delivered Vocational Training And Employment Programmes On Reoffending

Rapid Evidence Assessment finds that vocational training and employment programmes were associated with 9 percent fewer programme participants reoffending, when compared with nonparticipants. Studies conducted in the UK were associated with 6 percent fewer programme participants reoffending.


Gun fingers: “It’s not a game” with film-maker Simon Melbourne

Venue: On-line
Wednesday 26th May from 17.00 to 18.00


Call for papers: Race and Criminal/Community Justice – 40 Years since Scarman

British Journal of Community Justice calls for papers for special issue


Crime and the Camera with Rex Bloomstein

Venue: On-line
Tuesday 18th May from 17.00 to 18.00


Making a restorative criminal justice system a reality

Venue: On-line
Wednesday 28th April 13.00 to 16.30


Needs assessment: risk, desistance and engagement

PERU's Kevin Wong co-authors a new Academic Insights paper for Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Probation


High probation caseloads jeopardise the quality of delivery and practitioner’s wellbeing

PERU contributes to a report showing that the quality of probation delivery falls when practitioners are responsible for managing more than 50 cases.


Needs assessment and effective engagement

PERU researcher argues that needs assessment and sentence planning should transcend their core justice functions and set the tone for effective engagement between people supervised by probation and their supervisors


Hate Crime and COVID-19 Seminar

Venue: On-line
Wed 11 November 2020


Celebrating International Restorative Justice Week

The British Journal of Community Justice hosted and managed by PERU is marking International Restorative Justice Week by publishing two new papers.


The Role of Needs Assessment in the Effective Engagement of People with Convictions

This paper argues for “the potential for needs assessment and sentence planning to transcend their core justice functions and set the tone for effective engagement between probation supervisee and supervisor.”


NEW: Blaming Britain’s Muslim Communities; COVID-19 in prisons; Antisocial shifts in social policy and serious youth violence; book reviews

The British Journal of Community Justice (hosted and managed by PERU) has published new content today. 


Process Evaluation of the Greater Manchester Integrated Police Custody Healthcare and Wider Liaison and Diversion Service

Rapid Evidence Assessment finds a growing body of evidence that lower probation caseloads have a positive impact in terms of reducing reoffending in the USA.


PERU’s Kevin Wong is new Chair of the Criminal Justice Alliance

After an open recruitment and selection process PERU’s Kevin Wong (Reader in Community Justice and Associate Director Criminal Justice) has been appointed as the new Chair of the Criminal Justice Alliance (CJA).


Using Information Science to enhance educational preventing violent extremism programmes

Educational preventing violent extremism (EPVE) programs have had (to date) little if any theoretical underpinning.


A Rapid Evidence Assessment to assess the outcomes of community and custody delivered vocational training and employment programmes on reoffending

PERU were partially funded by the Ministry of Justice to undertake a Rapid Evidence Assessment (REA) to assess the outcomes of community and custody delivered vocational training and employment programmes on reoffending.


Time to reset the clock on the design of impact evaluations in criminology

This paper highlights how qualitative research can enhance causal explanation in impact evaluations and provide additional causal leverage to findings from randomised experiments.


Going virtual: The Manchester Crime and Justice Mini-Film Festival

Venue: On-line Tue 14 July 2020


Reforming the State After Covid: PERU’s Chris O’Leary speaking at Adam Smith Institute webinar

Chris O'Leary joins The Rt Hon David Davis MP, Douglas Carswell who is a former MP and the co-director of the Good Governance Project and Matthew Lesh who is the Head of Research at the Adam Smith Institute for a panel discussing reforming the State after Covid.


The progress of marketisation: the prison and probation experience

Rapid Evidence Assessment finds a growing body of evidence that lower probation caseloads have a positive impact in terms of reducing reoffending in the USA.


Art scheme can help prisoners to develop and feel positive about their futures

Sally Taylor, Chief Executive of Koestler Arts is “delighted” with the PERU research into the impact of the Koestler Arts Awards on prisoners and prisons. 


COVID-19 Reflections

New blogs reflecting on COVID-19 have been published today by the British Journal of Community Justice, hosted and managed by PERU


“THE IMPACT INSIDE”

EVALUATING THE ROLE OF THE KOESTLER AWARDS IN IMPROVING PRISONS AND PRISONERS


Hate Crime and racist prejudice in the criminal justice system.

The British Journal of Community Justice (BJCJ) hosted and managed by PERU, has published the first of a two-part special issue on Hate Crime and racist prejudice in the criminal justice system.


“Probation – in crisis or on the road to recovery?”

Venue: Geoffrey Manton Building, Manchester Metropolitan University
Tue 19 May 2020


Top authors

PERU’s Kevin Wong and Rachel Kinsella along with their co-author Linda Meadows have been awarded a certificate of achievement by the Howard Journal of Crime and Justice.


Policing and consent: how can the police enforce social distancing and maintain public trust?

Discussion of lessons learned from the development of third party hate crime reporting centres (TPRCs) in the UK.


Manchester Crime and Justice Film Festival: Shoplifters

Venue: 70 Oxford Street
Wed 1 April 2020


Manchester Crime and Justice Film Festival: American Psycho

Venue: 70 Oxford Street
Wed 25 March 2020


Crime and Justice Networking and Learning Fair

Venue: Geoffrey Manton Building, Manchester Metropolitan University
Wed 18 March 2020


‘People get killed cause of there [their] skin. It cannot be stopped’ …

Sarah Page examines the United Kingdom pupil experience of racism and race-hate-related extremism through research


Chance to change pilots qualitative study

In partnership with the Ministry of Justice and the Barrow Cadbury Trust, PERU researchers are undertaking a qualitative study on the views and experiences of participants in the Chance to Change pilots.


The Manchester CRIME and JUSTICE Film Festival 2020

This year’s festival, orgainsed by Kevin Wong and Gavin Bailey of PERU and Lucy Simpson from RAH! starts on the 18th March with a screening of i Believe in You introduced by Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Probation, Justin Russell.


Working towards social inclusion: Supporting offenders and marginalised groups into sustainable employment

Venue: Geoffrey Manton Building, Manchester Metropolitan University
Tue 11 February 2020


Crime and Justice Networking and Learning Fair

The Policy Evaluation and Research Unit and Criminal Justice Alliance are holding a Crime and Justice Networking and Learning Fair on Wednesday 18th March at Manchester Metropolitan University.


More than a tick-box? the role of training in improving police responses to hate crime

Stevie-Jade Hardy, Neil Chakraborti and Ilda Cuko identify how police training can be improved to address the under-reporting and inconsistent recording of hate crime


Youth Endowment Fund Evaluations

We are evaluating projects funded by the Youth Endowment Fund aimed at preventing young people from being involved in crime and violence.


HM Probation Inspectorate publish paper on innovation in probation

HM Inspectorate of Probation today publishes a report by Professors Chris Fox and Kevin Albertson, exploring the concept of innovation and its application to the delivery of probation services.


“Prevention Is Better Than Court” Strategic and Academic perspectives on Diversion, Participation and ‘unmet need’ in the Youth Justice System

Venue: Geoffrey Manton Building, Manchester Metropolitan University
Wed 15 January 2020


Innovation and the Evidence Base

This report explores the concept of innovation and its application to the delivery of probation services.


New free issue of the British Journal of Community Justice

The new free issue of the British Journal of Community Justice has been published today.


Putting the community back into payback

Dave Nicholson who is a PhD student with PERU has written a chapter on the potential for co-operatives to re-shape community payback in a book published yesterday.


PERU hosts successful Prisoner Learning Academic Network seminar

Last week PERU were pleased to host the second in a series of seminars for the Prisoner Learning Academic Network.


PERU hosts successful Prisoner Learning Academic Network seminar

Last week PERU were pleased to host the second in a series of seminars for the Prisoner Learning Academic Network.


Putting the community back into payback

Dave Nicholson who is a PhD student with PERU has written a chapter on the potential for co-operatives to re-shape community payback in a book published yesterday. 


If reoffending is not the only outcome what are the alternatives?

In a new paper published by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Probation, PERU’s Kevin Wong argues that probation provision is complex, delivered by a wide range of providers dealing with diverse service users and performing differing functions.


Putting the community back into payback

This chapter explores how to put communities back into community payback through the use of co-operatives.


If reoffending is not the only outcome, what are the alternatives?

Probation provision is complex, with a range of providers dealing with diverse service users and performing differing functions.


Needs assessment for people with convictions: Integrating risk needs and responsivity with desistance principles

Rachel Horan PERU Associate Researcher and Director of the Averment Group along with PERU’s Kevin Wong and Kirstine Szifris set out the case for operationalising risk needs and responsivity (RNR) and desistance principles in their newly published paper on the Enablers of Change needs assessment tool.


Needs assessment for people with convictions: Integrating risk needs and responsivity with desistance principles

Rachel Horan PERU Associate Researcher and Director of the Averment Group along with PERU’s Kevin Wong and Kirstine Szifris set out the case for operationalising risk needs and responsivity (RNR) and desistance principles in their newly published paper on the Enablers of Change needs assessment tool.


Putting pedagogy into practice (Prisoner Learning Academic Network)

Venue: Geoffrey Manton Building, Manchester Metropolitan University
Wed 6 November 2019


Enabling change: An assessment tool for adult offenders that operationalises risk needs responsivity and desistance principles

An assessment tool for adult offenders that operationalises risk needs responsivity and desistance principles


Adopting Market Stewardship in criminal justice

PERU’s Kevin Wong will make the case for adopting market stewardship principles in contracting with voluntary sector agencies at a conference on “The power of collaboration:


Student winners for Manchester Crime and Justice Film Festival

Congratulations to Charlotte Gislam and Rebecca Wynne-Walsh, the joint winners of the Festival’s student choice competition.


Student winners for Manchester Crime and Justice Film Festival

Congratulations to Charlotte Gislam and Rebecca Wynne-Walsh, the joint winners of the Festival’s student choice competition.


PERU to evaluate three Youth Endowment Fund projects

PERU is pleased to announce that it is working with the Youth Endowment Fund to evaluate 3 of the twenty two projects for which funding is announced today.


Hate Crime Reporting Policy is fundamentally flawed

At a national conference today PERU’s Kevin Wong will argue that the Government’s Hate Crime Reporting Policy is fundamentally flawed, reliant on good intentions but inadequately resourced


Hate Crime Reporting Policy is fundamentally flawed

At a national conference today PERU’s Kevin Wong will argue that the Government’s Hate Crime Reporting Policy is fundamentally flawed, reliant on good intentions but inadequately resourced.


PERU to evaluate the RESCALED project – promoting Detention Houses

Over the next three years PERU will evaluate the implementation and impact of the RESCALED programme.


PERU joins Evaluation Panel of the Youth Endowment Fund

The recently established Youth Endowment Fund (YEF) has announced that PERU, with our colleagues at the Manchester Centre for Youth Studies (MCYS), has been successful in its bid to join their new Evaluation Panel.


Innovation and the future of probation

Chris Fox delivered a presentation to HM Inspectorate of Probation's Summer School for its Assistant Inspectors.


Kirstine Szifris appointed vice-Chair of Prisoner Learning Academic Network

Kirstine Szifris has been appointed the vice-Chair of Prisoner Learning Academic Network (PLAN).


Functional Skills in Prison (Randomised Controlled Trial) – A Pilot Study

This programme of work aims to improve understanding of ‘best’ practice in functional skills education in England and Wales.


Functional Skills in Prison: The Case For a Randomised Controlled Trial

Technical Report and Executive Summary


Professor Sir Martin Narey’s inaugural lecture published

In his inaugural lecture in March, PERU’s Visiting Professor Sir Martin Narey reflected on the links between care, custody, alcohol and child neglect


Kirstine Szifris talks at Columbia University, New York about researching philosophy education in prisons

Kirstine Szifris will today give a talk at the Heyman Centre for Humanities


The Manchester Crime and Justice Film Festival – The Harder They Come

Venue: Number 70 Oxford Road
Thu 23 May 2019


PERU launch Reducing Reoffending website

PERU will today launch the Reducing Reoffending website.


The Manchester Crime and Justice Film Festival – The Purge

Venue: Number 70 Oxford Road
Thu 16 May 2019


What Works in Reducing Reoffending: Evidence and Evaluation

Venue: All Saints Building, Manchester Metropolitan University
Thu 16 May 2019


Identity psychology in probation: Implications for working with personality disorder

Venue: Geoffrey Manton Building, Manchester Metropolitan University
Tue 14 May 2019


The Manchester Crime and Justice Film Festival: Mona Lisa

Venue: Number 70 Oxford Road
Thu 9 May 201


Manchester CRIME and JUSTICE Film Festival – PERU’s Kevin Wong on BBC Radio Manchester

PERU’s Kevin Wong will appear on BBC Radio Manchester today to talk about The Manchester CRIME and JUSTICE Film Festival.  


A Rapid Evidence Assessment of the impact of probation caseloads on reducing recidivism and other probation outcomes

Rapid Evidence Assessment finds a growing body of evidence that lower probation caseloads have a positive impact in terms of reducing reoffending in the USA.


County Lines – the inside story

Venue: Geoffrey Manton Building, Manchester Metropolitan University
Tue 9 April 2019


The Manchester Crime and Justice Film Festival – May 2019

We prefer ideas and solutions that we don’t have to work at, particularly those that chime with our existing ideologies and beliefs


PERU’s review of technology in probation supervision published by HM Inspectorate of Probation.

PERU has completed a review of technology in probation supervision that is published today by HM Inspectorate of Probation.


A Rapid Evidence Assessment on the effectiveness of remote supervision and new technologies in managing probation service users

Examining the effectiveness of remote supervision approaches and emerging new technologies to manage probation service users and assist with their desistance from further offending.


Kirstine Szifris leads seminar on Philosophy Education in Prisons at Prison Research Centre, Cambridge

PERU’s Kirstine Szifris has been invited back to the Prison Research Centre, Cambridge University to lead a seminar today on Philosophy Education in Prisons.


The British Journal of Community Justice website is now live

The British Journal of Community Justice website is going live to our readers today. It’s a special issue on women offenders.


PERU’s Dr. Peter Traynor addresses Vietnamese National Police Academy

During a private visit to Vietnam over the Christmas period PERU's Dr Peter Traynor was invited to address the Vietnamese National Police Academy in Hanoi.


Developing a voluntary sector model for engaging people with convictions

PERU’s Kevin Wong is proposing a distinctive model for the voluntary sector to engage with people with convictions built on: reciprocity, reliability, consistency and emotional pleasure.


Offender to Entrepreneur: Sharing best practice from the USA in enabling individuals to develop a crime free future

Venue: Manchester Metropolitan University
Wed 9 January 2019


New article by PERU’s Kirstine Szifris – When Boredom Becomes Stagnation: The Importance of Occupying the Mind

PERU’s Kirstine Szifris has had an article on boredom published by a leading philosophy magazine, How the Light Gets In.


Complex commissioning for complex needs using partnerships, individuals assets and lived experience

Venue: Manchester Metropolitan University
Tue 6 November 2018


Fulfilling the legacy of the Stephen Lawrence inquiry report – twenty years on

Venue: Manchester Metropolitan University
Tue 16 October 2018


Manchester event, 16th Oct: Academy for Social Justice Evening Seminar

Fulfilling the legacy of the Stephen Lawrence inquiry report – twenty years on


Manchester event, 6th Nov: Academy for Social Justice Evening Seminar

Complex commissioning for complex needs using partnerships, individuals assets and lived experience to build fulfilling lives.


Supporting women offenders in Greater Manchester

PERU’s Rachel Kinsella and Kevin Wong along with other MMU colleagues have now completed their three-year evaluation of the Whole System Approach to Women Offenders in Greater Manchester.


Whole System Approach for Women Offenders – Final Evaluation Report

The evaluation has found that the WSA provides a good example of a gendered approach to supporting women in contact with the criminal justice system or at risk of offending and has been successful in responding to a number of its key aims.


PERU’s Kirstine Szifris invited as keynote speaker at the Tutor’s Association Conference 2018

PERU’s Kirstine Szifris has been invited to give the closing keynote to the Tutor’s Association conference at the Barbican centre in London on October 16th 2018.


MMU hosts Prison Learning Alliance Conference 2018

MMU is proud to be hosting the Prison Learning Alliance (PLA) Conference 2018.


PERU team members submit evidence to the Defence Committee inquiry into Global Islamist Terrorism

A submission authored by PERU's Gavin Bailey, Phil Edwards and Kevin Wong has been published by the Defence Committee inquiry into Global Islamist Terrorism.


PERU Associate, Phil Edwards publishes article on counter-terrorist legislation

PERU Associate Dr. Phil Edwards has published a paper arguing that contemporary British counter-terrorist legislation is dominated by ‘counter-law


Hate Crime Film Launch

Earlier this year PERU’s Kevin Wong and Gavin Bailey contributed to the recording of a film aimed at raising awareness of Hate Crime amongst children and young people.


A Realist Model of Prison Education, Growth, and Desistance: A New Theory

This paper articulates the first ‘general theory’ of prison education, offering a new insight into the relevance of desistance theory and understanding of prison sociology to the lives of men engaged in education whilst in prison.


Knife crime: I spoke to young people who carry blades – and they want to stop the violence

PERU's Peter Traynor has had a piece on knife crime published in The Conversation.


Prison Learning Alliance Conference coming to Manchester Metropolitan University in September 2018

PERU is delighted to announce that the Prison Learning Alliance conference is coming to Manchester Metropolitan University in the Autumn.


Payment by results and social impact bonds

Outcome-based payment systems in the UK and US


Increasing the use of Community Sentence Treatment Requirements

Venue: Manchester Metropolitan University
Thu 26 April 2018


Philosophy in prisons

Dr Kirstine Szifris of PERU today presented the findings from her PhD work at the British Sociological Association conference at Northumbria University.


T2A Final Process Evaluation Report

The T2A Pathway initiative, 6 projects led by charities in partnership with statutory services, delivered services to 16-25 year olds across sites in England between 2014-2017.


Young adult courts

A new report published yesterday is advocating a distinct approach to the way that young adults are treated at court.


Reflections on the delivery of probation services and the commissioning of probation services

Venue: Manchester Metropolitan University
Tue 27 February 2018


Piloting different approaches to personalised offender management in the English CJS

Various approaches to personalisation are well-established in the UK social care sector and are now starting to ‘travel’ to other sectors.


Launch of new website on What Works in Reducing Reoffending

PERU, partnership with Interserve today launched a new Reducing Reoffending website.


Coaching’s Impact on Social Exclusion: Measuring Hearts and Minds

Venue: Manchester Metropolitan University
Tue 9 January 2018


Between Care and the Criminal Justice System: Setting the agenda for the next decade

PERU’s Kevin Wong presented findings from the Transition to Adulthood Pathway Programme Evaluation at “Between Care and the Criminal Justice System


Cooperating Out of Crime? What can cooperatives bring to prisoner rehabilitation?

Venue: Manchester Metropolitan University
Tue 21 November 2017


Coaching’s Impact on Social Exclusion: Measuring Hearts and Minds

Venue: Manchester Metropolitan University
Thu 9 November 2017


Evaluation of the T2A Pathway initiative published today

The final process evaluation of the T2A Pathway initiative is published today.


Justice Devolution: delivering better justice through Justice Reinvestment

Venue: Geoffrey Manton Building, Manchester Metropolitan University
Wed 13 September 2017


PERU’s Kevin Wong publishes articles in The Encyclopaedia of Corrections

Kevin Wong (Associate Director of PERU) has published two articles, on Community Justice and Community Service in the newly published The Encyclopedia of Corrections, edited by Kent R. Kerley (Editor in Chief), published by Wiley


Socrates & Aristotle: The Role of Ancient Philosophers in the Self-Understanding of Desisting Prisoners

The Role of Ancient Philosophers in the Self-Understanding of Desisting Prisoners


PERU are recruiting 2 Research Associates focused on data management and analysis

The post holder will be based in the Policy Evaluation and Research Unit (PERU) and will work full time on research and evaluation projects that cover criminal justice and wider social policy including welfare, education and housing.


Chris Fox to speak at Scottish Prison Service College on economics of penal policy

PERU's Professor Chris Fox is an invited speaker at a Knowledge Exchange event organised by the Scottish Prison Service taking place at the Scottish Prison Service College on the 14th July.


Crest Advisory Report into Community sentences: where did it all go wrong?

Community sentences: where did it all go wrong?


English and Welsh experience of marketisation

Payment by results and justice devolution in the probation sector


Sir Martin Narey joins PERU as Visiting Professor

Manchester Metropolitan University is delighted to welcome Sir Martin Narey as a Visiting Professor at its Policy Evaluation and Research Unit (PERU).


Can small changes make a big difference? Applying behavioural insights to public services

Venue: Geoffrey Manton Building, Manchester Metropolitan University
Thu 6 April 2017


PERU staff co-facilitating workshop at 2nd National Summit on Tackling Multiple Disadvantage

Kevin Wong and Rachel Kinsella from PERU will be co-facilitating a workshop at the 2nd National Summit on Tackling Multiple Disadvantage on the 9th May 2017.


PERU research associate, Kirstine Szifris, invited to speak at the PET annual symposium

PERU research associate, Kirstine Szifris, has been invited to speak at the Prison Education Trust's annual symposium.


A Rapid Evidence Assessment of the effectiveness of prison education

A Rapid Evidence Assessment of the effectiveness of prison education in reducing recidivism and increasing employment


PERU contributing to debate on Justice Devolution

Staff from PERU are contributing to a number of events on Justice Devolution, working with Metropolis - Manchester Metropolitan's research-led think tank.


The ethical challenges of evidence-based policy research

In Research Ethics in Criminology: Dilemmas, Issues and Solutions (Edited by Cowburn, Gelsthorpe and Wahidin)


Catch22 Bristol Dawes Unit Gangs Evaluation

The Bristol Dawes Unit was set up by Catch 22 in 2015 and works with young people at all stages of gang involvement: on the periphery, involved or entrenched. They receive referrals from the police, youth offending service, social services and schools.


Operationalising desistance through personalisation

This article reports on the early stages of a project to develop a model of offender rehabilitation that operationalises the concept of desistance.


PERU-Novus discuss piloting RCTs in prison education research

Professor Stephen Morris and Kirstine Szifris continue their series of 'PERU-Novus: In Dialogue' sessions with a second meeting with the Novus ENiGMA team this week


Justice devolution: what next?

Venue: Manchester Metropolitan University
Wed 14 December 2016


PERU helps organise national event on ‘Justice devolution: what next?’

PERU is working with Manchester Met's Metropolis (an academic-led think tank) and iNetwork to organise a national event on Justice Devolution.


Offender Management – Devolution and Local Commissioning

Venue: Geoffrey Manton Building, Manchester Metropolitan University
Mon 3 October 2016


Chris Fox presents at expert meeting of the Dutch Probation Organisations

On September 20th 2016 Professor Chris Fox is presenting to a group from the Dutch Ministry of Safety & Justice and the board, management and policy-advisors of the Dutch Probation Organisations.


Chris Fox becomes Trustee of Coaching Inside and Out

PERU's Director, Professor Chris Fox, has become a Trustee and non-executive Director of the Coaching Inside and Out (CIAO).


‘Personalisation’: Is social innovation possible under Transforming Rehabilitation?

When the Coalition government’s ‘rehabilitation revolution’ was first articulated, innovation was an important theme, encompassing innovation by frontline staff, by organisations working within a mixed economy and even social entrepreneurs.


Predictable Policing: Measuring the Crime Control Benefits of Hotspots Policing at Bus Stops

A fairly robust body of evidence suggests that hotspots policing is an effective crime prevention strategy.


Hotspots policing backfires when offenders know

A new paper co-authored by PERU's Henry Partidge and published in the Journal of Quantitative Criminology


Hello . . . is it me you’re commissioning for?

Venue: Geoffrey Manton Building, Manchester Metropolitan University | Thu 16 June 2016


Personalisation, Innovation and Transforming Rehabilitation

Venue: Geoffrey Manton Building, Manchester Metropolitan University | Thu 19 May 2016


The 2010-2015 Coalition and Criminal Justice: Continuities and Contradictions

The criminal justice system (CJS) in England and Wales went through extensive reform under the Coalition Government of 2010-2015.


Extremism and Counter-Extremism: Changing Images, Emerging Realities

Venue: Manchester | Thu 5 May 2016


The PERU Team continues to grow with new recruits in 2016

New members have recently joined the PERU team to support the broadening portfolio of work.


Commissioning better public services through user engagement

Venue: Geoffrey Manton Building, Manchester Metropolitan University | Tue 15 March 2016


Scholarships with Policy Evaluation & Research Unit (PERU)

PhD Scholarship Competition 2016


MMU’s new Crime and Wellbeing Data Centre is recruiting Research Fellows

MMU is launching a Crime and Well-Being Big Data Centre. Several of the PERU team are involved and the Centre will be closely aligned with PERU. 


Policing in the 21st Century: Challenges and Opportunities

Venue: Geoffrey Manton Building, Manchester Metropolitan University | Tue 26 January 2016


Evaluation of the Whole System Approach for Women Offenders Executive Summary Dec 2015

Although women remain a minority group in the criminal justice system (CJS), there is increasing recognition amongst policy makers of the importance of understanding the needs of female offenders in order to better target resources and provide support that is responsive to these needs.


The Manchester College / Novus

A new partnership will lead the way in offender learning, skills and employability.


Personalisation: operationalizing ‘desistance’ and commissioning for justice reinvestment

Slides from Clinks 'Just and Affordable Rehabilitation' Conference, London, 1st December 2015


Approaches to measuring impact – what can be done when circumstances are far from ideal

Venue: Geoffrey Manton Building, Manchester Metropolitan University | Tue 1 December 2015


Wellbeing beyond GDP

Venue: Manchester Metropolitan University | Wed 4 November 2015


Working to improve offender learning and employment

A NEW partnership will lead the way in offender learning, skills and employability.


Rethinking the Economics of Crime and Justice

Venue: Geoffrey Manton Building, Manchester Metropolitan University | Thu 24 September 2015


Devolution and Whole System Commissioning

Venue: Geoffrey Manton Building, Manchester Metropolitan University. Location: Manchester, UK
Mon 14 September 2015


The next five years of criminal justice for England and Wales

Professor Chris Fox's Seminar 'The next five years of criminal justice for England and Wales' at the Academy for Justice Commissioning.


The next five years of criminal justice for England and Wales

Venue: Manchester Metropolitan University. Location: Geoffrey Manton Building, Rosamund Street West, Manchester M15 6LL. | Mon 20 July 2015


Through the Gate Services – an Academy for Justice Commissioning evening seminar

Venue: Manchester Metropolitan University, Geoffrey Manton Building, Rosamund Street West, Manchester M15 6LL | Tue 9 June 2015


Whole System Approach to Women Offenders in Greater Manchester Evaluation

The Whole System Approach (WSA) to women offenders across Greater Manchester aims to embed gender-responsive support for women at three points of the criminal justice system - arrest, sentencing and upon release from prison. The governance and funding of the WSA is overseen by the Justice and Rehabilitation Executive (JRE).


Webinar 2: Process Evaluation

Venue: Webinar. Location: Manchester Metropolitan University | Mon 27 April 2015


Markets, privatisation and law and order – some economic considerations

Kevin Albertson discusses the difficulty of aligning private incentives with the public good


Free Evaluation Webinars

Professor Chris Fox and the Public Service Transformation Network are running a series of six free webinars on Evaluation, which we believe will be of benefit to Academy members.


How to Run the Country Manual – Election Special Discussion

Venue: Manchester Metropolitan University Business School | Tue 21 April 2015


Webinar 1: Getting Started and Theory of Change

Venue: Webinar. Location Manchester Metropolitan University | Mon 30 March 2015
Contact: Chris Fox Email: c.fox@mmu.ac.uk


Alcohol Interventions in Prison – Brief Interventions, Screening, Recovery

Venue: Manchester Evening Seminar | Thu 5 February 2015


London Probation Trust Peer Mentoring Evaluation

The Policy Evaluation and Research Unit (PERU) have published the London Probation Trust (LPT) Peer Mentoring Evaluation.


Too many young adults go from ‘in care’ directly to jail

An article in "The Independent" highlights research to be published by Patrick Williams


Intensive Community Order Evaluation (ICO)

PERU were commissioned by the Police and Crime Commissioner to evaluate the Greater Manchester Intensive Community Order (ICO) Programme.


ICCJ Monograph No 9: Justice, with Reason: Rethinking the Economics of Crime and Justice

Economic ideas and concepts have always influenced thinking about crime and criminal justice. Increasingly, however, criminologists, policy-makers and practitioners who draw on, or seek to critique, economic ideas take a rather narrow view of economics based on the prevailing orthodoxy: neo-liberalism. Neo-liberalism, vulgarly conceived, assumes society is comprised of self-serving, instrumentally rational actors.


PERU Briefing 14/02: Social Innovation in the Criminal Justice System

In this briefing we highlight the importance of social innovation in the criminal justice system and ask whether reforms to the criminal justice system taking place as part of the Transforming Rehabilitation policy shift will encourage or deter social innovation in the future.


Personalisation in the criminal justice system: what is the potential?

The criminal justice sector has never achieved rates of re-offending with which the public and policy makers are satisfied.


Justice Reinvestment in an “Age of Austerity”: Developments in the United Kingdom

In the UK, national and local governments are struggling to cope with the economic crisis which ensued in 2008.


Peter Joyce guest editor of January edition of Safer Communities

PERU Associate Dr. Peter Joyce is guest editor of  the January edition of Safer Communities ‘Police Crime Commissioners: Twelve Months On’


‘London Reducing Reoffending Programme’ Evaluation: Executive Summary

The ‘London Reducing Reoffending Programme’ (LRRP) was an innovative Payment by Results (PbR) programme that aimed to reduce youth reoffending in London.


London Reducing Reoffending Programme’ Evaluation

The ‘London Reducing Reoffending Programme’ (LRRP) was an innovative Payment by Results (PbR) programme that aimed to reduce youth reoffending in London.


Evaluation of the Intensive Alternatives to Custody pilots

This summary presents the main findings from a range of research, conducted by Sheffield Hallam University and the Greater Manchester Probation Trust, exploring the learning from the Intensive Alternatives to Custody (IAC) pilots.


PERU Briefing 13/01 : Justice Reinvestment Thinking outside the cell

In Crime and Punishment in America, Currie notes that, short of major wars, mass imprisonment has been the most thoroughly implemented USA government social programme of recent times.


PERU Briefing : Justice Reinvestment Thinking outside the cell

Thinking outside the cell.


Could Personalisation Reduce Reoffending?

Rising prison numbers and high rates of re-offending illustrate the need for criminal justice reform.


Analytical Chemistry

Using Isotopic Fractionation to Link Precursor to Product in the Synthesis of (±)-Mephedrone: A New Tool for Combating "Legal High" Drugs


Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Analysis

Synthesis, full chemical characterisation and development of validated methods for the quantification of (±)-4'-methylmethcathinone (mephedrone): a new "legal high”


Choose Change II


Justice Reinvestment: Can it Deliver More for Less?

Recent years have seen high levels of public spending on criminal justice but to relatively little effect


Using social media as a means of improving public confidence

The ‘confidence agenda’ poses important new challenges for Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships in general and the police in particular.


Spring Bulletin of the Academy of Justice Commissioning

Chris Fox has edited the Spring Bulletin of the Academy of Justice Commissioning


Crime and Economics: An Introduction

Crime and Economics provides the first comprehensive and accessible text to address the economics of crime within the study of crime and criminology.


Estimating the costs and benefits of an alcohol treatment requirement

Purpose – This paper seeks to report on a project to estimate the costs and benefits of implementing an Alcohol Treatment Requirement (ATR) in Stockport.


Community Legal Advice Centres and Networks: A Process Evaluation

This report sets out the findings of the process evaluation of Community Legal Advice Centres and Networks commissioned by the Legal Services Research Centre (LSRC).


Justice Reinvestment

Reviewing the available literature on Justice Reinvestment, interviewing key figures in the Justice Reinvestment movement in the US and looking at projects in the UK that have implemented elements of Justice Reinvestment.