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About
I am Professor in Criminal Justice in the University of Kent’s School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research, and also Director of Public Engagement for the Faculty of Social Sciences. I am a member of the UK Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (the independent body which advises ministers on the classification of illicit drugs). I am also President of the International Society of the Study of Drug Policy.
I have worked on issues of drugs, crime and health in the voluntary sector, as an academic researcher and as an adviser to the UK government.
I have published extensively on these issues, with a focus on the sociology of drugs and crime, on risk behaviours by young people, on the use of evidence in policy and on quasi-compulsory drug treatment. My published worked includes a book on Drugs, Crime and Public Health, studies of decriminalisation of drugs in Portugal, of the right to use drugs, on gangs and on the ethnography of policy making.
Career
My interest in drugs and crime dates back to my time working with UK charity Prisoners Abroad, which provides advice and information to British prisoners
held in foreign prisons, and as European project manager and coordinator of the European Network of Drug and HIV/AIDS Services in Prison for Cranstoun Drugs Services.
I also led QCT Europe, a European-funded, six-country research project on treatment for drug dependent offenders, and a project called “Early Exit” on early retention in drug treatment for the Department for Health.
Education
I have a PhD in Social Policy from the University of Kent, an MA in Socio-Legal Studies from the University of Sheffield and a BA in French (in the School of European Studies) from the University of Sussex.
Contact Information
Address
Room Gillingham G2-08
Gillingham Building
University of Kent
Chatham Maritime
Kent ME4 4AG
Publications
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Research Interests
Research interests
My principal research interests focus on illicit drug policies and how they affect drug use, crime and public health. I have an on-going interest in how evidence is used in making policy and in
the effects of drug treatment interventions. I also work on youth crime and the reduction of youth risk behaviours.
Past
I led the development and evaluation of the RisKit project, which worked with vulnerable 14-16 year olds to reduce their risk-taking behaviours.
I directed the Connections project which promoted research and good practice in preventing drugs and related infections in European criminal justice systems.
I led QCT Europe, a European-funded, six-country research project on treatment for drug dependent offenders.
I also led a project called Early Exit on early retention in treatment for the Department for Health. I have also published peer-reviewed articles and policy reports on social exclusion and youth crime.
Supervision
I am interested in supervising students focusing on issues of illicit drug use, drug policy, drug treatment, drugs and crime and related policies. If you have a proposal in these areas and would
like to study at the University of Kent, please email me to discuss further.
Teaching
Current
I teach on the Criminal Justice and Criminology programme at the Medway campus. I convene the
optional modules SO654: Drugs, Crime and the Criminal Justice System and SO705: Criminal Justice Practice
I also share teaching with colleagues on the second year module SO651: Issues in Criminal Justice and the first year module SO329: Introduction to Criminology and Criminal Justice.
I also supervise third year and MA dissertations, as well as PhD theses.
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Board roles
- President of the International Society for the Study of Drug Policy
- Member of editorial board of Drugs: Education, Prevention and Policy
- Member of the editorial board of the British Journal of Criminology
- Associate Editor of the International Journal of Drug Policy
Memberships
- Member of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs
- Member of the International Society for the Study of Drug Policy
- Member of the Society for the Study of Addiction
- Member of the British Society of Criminology
- Member of the European Society of Criminology
Media
Employability in criminal justice
Does drug policy matter?
International Drug Policy Reform Conference 2011, Reducing Drug Arrests by Shifting Law Enforcement Priorities
Projects
- The Connections project promotes research and good practice in preventing drugs and related infections in European criminal justice system.
- QCT Europe produced evidence for policy and practice on quasi-compulsory treatment of drug dependent offenders
(QCT) in Europe. EISS coordinated the QCT Europe research project, which was funded by the European Commission's Fifth Framework Research programme and concluded in 2005.
QCT Europe produced evidence for policy and practice on quasi-compulsory treatment of drug dependent offenders (QCT) in Europe. It included partners in the UK, Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Italy and Switzerland.
- Early Exit, on early retention in treatment for the Department of Health. EISS has completed work on this project,
funded by the Department of Health, which aimed to estimate and explain the phenomenon of dependent drug users dropping out very early from treatment.
It involved quantitative and qualitative research with samples of drug treatment staff and service users in three drug action team areas. It was funded by the Department of Health and carried out in collaboration with ICPR. The project was led by Alex Stevens, with fieldwork and analysis carried out by Polly Radcliffe. Download the final report.