Bringing in the outsiders: drug policy, social reintegration and welfare reform

The 2008 drug strategy for England included among its four aims a commitment to delivering new approaches to reintegrating problem drug users back into society. In keeping with New Labour's attempt to promote social inclusion through participation in the labour market, the strategy paid especial attention to addressing worklessness in recognition of high levels of labour market inactivity among this group. The strategy made explicit that the benefits system should play a key role in promoting the social integration of this group and stated that a 'new regime' was necessary. In a series of policy documents leading up to the Welfare Act 2009, a series of measures were laid out for problem drug users which included the payment of a new benefit (a treatment allowance), access to drug treatment and access to employment support. At the same time, problem drug users were judged to be incapable of acknowledging their responsibilities to society and were deemed to need to 'discipline' of sanctions in order to change their behaviour and fulfil their obligations to society. The end result was the planned introduction of Welfare Reform Drug Recovery Pilots (in October 2010) which required problem drug users to attend a substance-related assessment, a treatment awareness programme and an additional support programme or face the loss of benefits. In June this year, plans for the pilots which were shelved by the coalition government but the consultation for a new drug policy to be launched in 2010 sought views on whether the benefit system should be used to tackle drug and alcohol dependency. This paper charts the development of the 'new regime' for problem drug users and considers the extent to which the various measures proposed might promote the social inclusion of problem drug users.

Developing and sustaining diversity research in a high security prison: a governor's perspective (working title)

This paper presents the perspective of a prison manager centrally involved in the development and delivery of an Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) funded research project at HMP Wakefield. Key issues of developing trust of staff and prisoners; confidentiality and managing security issues, enabling prisoners and staff to speak freely and developing project credibility are explored. The dilemmas of opening a prison wing to external scrutiny for nine months are described particularly in the areas of as is the issue of the research report. The issue first raised by Becker (1967) and subsequently developed by Liebling (2001) of 'sides' in research is discussed. The paper concludes with a discussion of the impacts of this research on the prison and the wider prison estate.

Offender management for all - pipe dream or an affordable proposition?

A future look at UK Government policy reflected in the Criminal Justice Green Paper (to be published in October 2010) but informed by the national evaluations (conducted by the Hallam Centre for Community Justice) of Integrated Offender Management, Intensive Alternatives to Custody and Layered Offender Management and Tiering in prison.

Values and crime: a scoping study

What are values and what is their relationship with crime? This paper identifies a range of ways in which values exist - inter alia, categorically, cognitively, and through character - and draws some limited conclusions about how different conceptions of value can be used to inform our understanding of both the structure of crime and responses to crime. The paper does not defend a theory of value but rather seeks to isolate the means by which values are generated or discovered; it considers the ways in which these preliminary and foundational conceptions of value encourage or dissuade us from adopting certain views of crime. As such, the paper seeks to outline normative and axiological questions that are not only prior to policy and practice but also prior to the disciplinary division of labour between law and criminology.

Ageplay in Second Life: support to what?

Second Life is a virtual massively multi-player online game (MMOG) established in 2003. It is an adult-only, free-form computer generated environment in which users, through their avatars (animated characters), act out a life not unlike they would in the real world, except that in Second Life there are no physical laws and they are not bounded by issues such as employment, social networks or status. As such, this ostensibly anonymous environment allows users freedom to act in ways which they may feel unable to in the real world; perhaps acting out fantasies or role playing different avatars. The practice of an adult user creating and operating as a child avatar is referred to as 'ageplay'. Ageplay is a contentious issue within Second Life as many users engaging in ageplay simulate sexual activity between child and adult avatars. Ageplay has become a topic of concern because police investigators have assumed a link between ageplay and the increase in risk that ageplayers will commit real world child abuse offences. But what evidence is there to show that activity such as ageplay is worrisome? This discussion centres around a number of propositions. The first, that ageplay may act to reduce the likelihood of real-world offending through a cathartic process. The second proposition argues that activities such as ageplay support pro-offending attitudes and provide a forum in which advice can be sought on committing real-world child abuse. Both of these propositions have been argued in respect to the use and distribution of child abuse images as well as to online forums such as paedophiliac chatrooms, where most research in this field has been undertaken. The arguments here will be expanded to consider the unique environment of Second Life which combines elements of both the use of child abuse images and online networking and adds an additional dimension to the equation: that of role-playing fantasies.

Tales of the unexpected - ethics, values and 'common-sense policing'

Since the 1970s, numerous attempts have been made by police forces across the globe to professionalise police behaviour. One crucial aspect of this has involved a shift from 'police training' to 'police education' in order to, amongst other aims, assist the development of a more flexible, open-minded value system amongst police officers. Industry publications such as 'Police Review' have presented an argument from police officers that there is not a natural fit between a university education and police knowledge. Underpinning this perspective is a presumption that police 'values' are different to the 'values' promoted by a university education and a belief that a university is not the ideal place to engender 'common-sense'. This paper analyses the potential for a clash of these value bases and evaluates the evidence-base that lies at the crux of the police education debate. In so doing, the paper reports the findings of a small-scale study conducted by the authors' with a small number of Sheffield Hallam University students who were required to 'test' this contrasting value base through their work as Special Police Constables undertaken as part of their BA (Hons) Criminology degree course during 2009/10.

Probationers stories of desistance - desistance and rehabilitative efforts

As part of the confirmation of PhD (transfer) process, this paper will outline progress to date and planned future work in relation to a qualitative study which seeks to further explore and understand the desistance process and particularly, the nature of any relationship - real or potential, between desistance and rehabilitative efforts.

In contrast to many previous studies, this study has sought specifically to explore the subjective meaning making practices of desisters and particularly the meaning of contemporary rehabilitative efforts for those desisters.

In order to attempt to achieve these aims, this study has adopted a narrative methodological approach, where ontological or personal narratives are viewed as the phenomenon of interest and where narrative methodology has been employed.

A cohort of men currently supervised by the probation service were interviewed on three occasions and invited to give their personal narratives around the topical themes of the study. Emergent themes broadly include the significance of some reworking or reshaping of masculine identity and relatedly the development of more communal or relational (as opposed to agenetic) forms of being, along with the significance of `acceptance` and assimilation in the development of a desisting self-identity.

Whilst desistance was often presented as a process unrelated to formal contemporary rehabilitative efforts, where these were experienced as meaningful, narratives highlighted the cognitive and emotional aspects of these interventions along with the importance of personal relationships, integrity and authenticity.

This paper will outline the background, rationale and methodology of the study and offer exploration of some of emergent themes and issues before inviting comments and discussion.

Using a Prisoner Advisory group to develop diversity research in a maximum-security prison: some initial observations

This paper presents some methodological musings on the involvement of high security prisoners in the design and development of a research project exploring the diversity strategies of a maximum security prison. It describes the forming, storming, norming and performing stages of the the group formation and reflects on how the group became involved in the task of designing a successful research project.

Issues of prison security and how this affected the performance of the group are described. Issues for the researcher of 'whose side are we on?' (Liebling 2001) and the dilemmas of 'Participatory Research' in prisons (Fine et al 2004) are explored.

Theorising Homophobic Violence in Northern Ireland

The Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement 1998 signalled and end to the three decades of violent ethno-political conflict and the beginning of the ongoing peace process in Northern Ireland. Since then, research, statistics and legislation have highlighted the nature and prevalence of other forms of prejudice in Northern Ireland, including homophobic victimisation. Whilst such data and legislation are useful starting points, investigations into the ideologies informing and sustaining homophobic prejudices remain scarce, yet examples of these prejudices continue to increase. Controversy surrounding the failure to address several government ministers' publicly made homophobic comments, together with the low prosecution figures for hate crimes and evidence of institutionalised homophobia in the police service, have prompted suggestions that these strategies and laws are little more than tokenistic window dressing.

In exploring the key factors which are informing and sustaining homophobic ideologies in Northern Ireland, the paper first looks at the prominence given to morally conservative Christian discourses condemning same-sex desire. The analysis then invokes the potential legacy of the 'Troubles' in creating 'cultures of violence', linking into claims that communities who have been given economic incentives to cease their sectarian activities have merely changed targets. The paper argues that these factors may be working together to create a society in which lesbians and gay men continue to be perceived as 'acceptable' victims of violence regardless of legislative developments stating otherwise. In conclusion, the paper demonstrates the need for a unique and culturally relative response to homophobic violence in Northern Ireland.

Religion and Social Control - The Case of Muslim Ex-Offenders

This seminar articulates early findings from a small-scale ethnographic study examining the experiences of Muslim ex-offenders from North West England funded by the Islamic Foundation, UK.

The main objectives of the study are to

• critically evaluate the qualitative experiences of Muslim ex-offenders to ascertain the extent to which their beliefs impact upon deviancy and recidivism as part of the life course

• provide an analysis of the awareness and significance of fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) and uqūbāt (Islamic criminal law) amongst Muslim ex-offenders

• provide a specific focus on ex-offenders who have converted to Islam and how their post-incarceration experiences compare to those 'born into the faith'

• document and critique experiences of discrimination, victimisation and exclusion amongst Muslim ex-offenders and in turn identify gaps in provision

• evaluate perceptions of radicalisation and extremism amongst Muslim ex-offenders

Bringing the boys back: re-engendering criminology

This seminar considers the role of men in crime and the role of crime for masculinity. It revisits the end of Wykes and Welsh (2009) which was always little more than a beginning place for better understanding 'Violence, Gender and Justice'.

Domestic abuse, for example, covers many cruelties that remain secret but domestic violence injuries alone have serious financial implications as well as the damage done to women's bodies (including foetal morbidity) and mental health. 'According to Home Office figures, physical injuries caused by domestic abuse cost the NHS £1.2 billion a year' (Derbyshire police 02/10/2006). Moreover the problem is global. In Australia: 'Domestic violence was the main reason homeless people sought out crisis accommodation' (The Age 11/02/2005) and the misogyny not always recognised:

• More than 60 million women are 'missing' from the world today as a result of sex-selective abortions and female infanticide
• The Russian Government estimates that 14,000 women were killed by their partners or relatives in 1999, yet the country still has no law specifically addressing domestic violence (Amnesty International 2007)

Overwhelmingly these, and indeed all crimes and harms, are committed by men. Though not all men act overtly harmfully, crime is a constituent of masculinity. Crime operationalises the power of the state to describe, protect and legitimate normal masculinities and gender roles and relations through law by discursively marking out others. Crime is also the illegitimate attempt to exercise power by 'óthers', normally other men who pose the greatest threat to power but sometimes women. In both instances, through law and crime, discursively and in practice, there is violence in the constitution of masculinity that will remain, so long as good men do nothing.