Laura Riley BA (Hons), DipPP, GradDipCJ
Senior Lecturer Criminal Justice
- Sheffield Institute of Law and Justice
- Helena Kennedy Centre for International Justice
- Social and Economic Research Institute
Summary
I joined Sheffield Hallam in January 2022 where I am involved in the Community Justice Learning programme, the delivery of the Probation Qualification degree route for individuals training to be a probation officer, undergraduate and postgraduate criminology degrees. I act as academic advisor for Level 5 and Level 6 students. I am currently involved with department colleagues researching youth to adult transitions in probation and cross department research with education colleagues regarding young people at risk of educational exclusion and criminal exploitation.
Areas of interest include youth justice, care leaver's experiences within the Criminal Justice System, youth offending to probation transitions and young adults.
About
As an undergraduate I read criminal justice and policing at Birmingham City University. Prior to joining Sheffield Hallam I spent 16 years within the Probation Service in a variety of roles including as a probation service officer, qualified probation officer, Birmingham Youth Offending Service as a probation officer and deputy manager, and the Ministry of Justice as a national trainer and learning coach. I have experience supervising individuals in the community, young offenders institutions and adult prisons, specialising in child criminal exploitation, youth to adult transitions, and the design and delivery of probation training.
I currently teach on undergraduate and postgraduate criminology programmes, graduate probation and policing programmes. My teaching specialisms are the youth justice system and young adults in criminal justice.
I have undertaken Ministry of Justice funded research evaluating a youth2adulthood transitions probation hub in London and I am currently involved in the following funded studies:
• RCT-centred evaluation of the Reach Programme funded by the Youth Endowment Fund
• RCT-centred evaluation of the Positive Pathways Programme funded by the Youth Endowment Fund
Teaching
Sheffield Institute of Law and Justice
College of Social Sciences and Arts
Institute of Law & Justice
Courses taught:
BA (Hons) Criminology
BA (Hons) Criminology and Sociology
Graduate Diploma Community Justice
Graduate Diploma Professional Policing
MSc Criminology and Criminal Justice Practice
Modules taught:
Adult Learning and Reflective Practice
Contesting Crime and Deviance
Evidence-based Policing Research Project
Professional Practice, Ethics and Values
Punishment and Practice in Context
Real World Research
Rehabilitation
Rehabilitation and Change
The Criminal Justice System
Research
My research interests relate to young people and young adults involved with the criminal justice system and individuals who are or have been in care and the criminal justice system.
I am currently involved with the following studies:
RCT-centred evaluation of the Reach Programme funded by the Youth Endowment Fund
RCT-centred evaluation of the Positive Pathways Programme funded by the Youth Endowment Fund
I have recently completed the following study:
Process Evaluation of the Newham Y2A Hub: Evaluating the implementation of a specialist youth to adulthood transitions service in probation. Ministry of Justice (2024).
Link 1 https://www.shu.ac.uk/news/all-articles/latest-news/y2a-probation-hub-review
Link 2 https://www.shu.ac.uk/sheffield-institute-education-research/projects/evaluation-of-positive-pathways
Publications
Journal articles
Ainslie, S., & Riley, L. (2025). Probation pracademics: protectors of the ‘honourable profession’? Probation Journal: the journal of community and criminal justice. http://doi.org/10.1177/02645505241301
Riley, L. (2022). Youth Offending to the Probation Service - Why meaningful transition matters. Probation Quarterly, 24, 18-21. http://doi.org/10.54006/omfj7562
Reports
Phillips, J., Ward, J., Albertson, K., Cracknell, M., Duke, K., Fowler, A., & Riley, L. (2024). Process evaluation of the Newham Y2A Hub. Evaluating the implementation of a specialist youth to adulthood transitions service in probation. Ministry of Justice. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/process-evaluation-of-the-newham-y2a-hub#:~:text=The%20hub%20used%20a%20co,the%20Hub%20was%20implemented%20well
Other activities
Board Trustee National Association for Youth Justice
Youth Justice Board Academic Advisory Steering Committee
Youth Justice Board Workforce Council Member
Alliance for Youth Justice Expert Advisor: custody, racial injustice and keeping children safe.
Care Leavers Association Care Leavers Connected Project Advisor
Member of Howard League for Penal Reform