Criminal justice

Teenagers wearing hoodies ride a bike in the park

Our work in criminal justice

Involvement with crime, as perpetrator or victim, can obviously have a significant effect on well-being, but contact with the criminal justice system itself can also have a major effect on people’s chances in life, particularly for those who are young or are vulnerable or disadvantaged in some way – and many of those from vulnerable groups are over-represented within the criminal justice system, as both victim and perpetrator.

Our priority area of focus here is the youth justice system. Through the research we fund, we explore the factors that lead to children coming into contact with the justice system, and examine how effective and fair the system is not just in addressing offending but also in responding to the needs of those children. The relationship of the youth justice system to the education and children’s social care sectors is also an important area of attention for us. We also have a broader interest in issues of offending and related risks and harms committed by and against children, whether or not they result in formal contact with the justice system.

 

Our team


  • Ash Patel headshot
    Ash Patel

Our impact in criminal justice


  • Professors Lesley McAra and Susan McVie’s longitudinal Edinburgh Study of Youth Transitions and Crime, which the Foundation has supported at key points in its lifespan, has over the two decades since it began become a crucial and widely-referenced source of knowledge about the factors influencing offending among young people and the role that the criminal justice does (and doesn’t) play in addressing that behaviour. It has also informed a range of policy and practice reforms, including recent legislation raising the age of criminal responsibility in Scotland.

  • Dr Vicky Kemp’s research on the treatment of children in police detention and questioning has secured firm support from senior police officers and the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC). Findings from the first stage of the project have prompted the NPCC to encourage police forces to consider proposals for a more child-centred approach in police custody. This has led to the piloting of new arrangements in some areas, and the research team have engaged with several police forces who are seeking to adopt a ‘child first’ approach to their work.

  • A study led by Dr Claire Fitzpatrick examined how the numbers of girls and young women who move between social care and custody might be reduced, through better understanding their experiences and treatment. Widely disseminated, the research has informed the Prison Service in developing their response to care-experienced women in custody, as well as projects by the voluntary sector on supporting young women in the criminal justice system.

Criminal justice projects

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We aim to improve people’s lives by funding research that informs social policy, primarily in Education, Welfare and Justice. We also fund student programmes that give young people skills and confidence in science and research.

We are an open, collaborative and engaged funder that offers more than money. Through connecting the individual projects we fund, we strengthen their collective impact and give voice to an overarching narrative.

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