Criminology, Prisons & Policing

The Criminology, Prisons and Policing pathway brings together research and applied work in the field of criminology and associated work with prisons and on policing across NINE DTP.

At Durham University, the Criminology, Prisons and Policing Pathway is based within the Department of Sociology, where academic staff undertake a wide range of criminological research that spans the entire criminal justice system. Research interests include youth justice, the sex industry, cybercrime, forensic science, policing, disability, crime and victimisation, and prisons.

The Department is also home to the Centre for Research into Violence and Abuse (CRiVA), which is dedicated to advancing understanding of interpersonal violence and abuse, and improving professional and societal responses to such issues.

In addition, members of the Department’s Criminal Justice, Social Harm and Inequalities (CJSHI) Research Group explore alternative conceptions of criminality and justice, considering what a criminal justice system can and should achieve to reduce social harm and structural inequalities generated through processes of criminalisation. Within this research theme, there is also a growing body of work focusing on neurodivergent and disabled communities who come into contact with the criminal justice system, addressing their experiences, rights, and pathways to inclusion.

At Northumbria University, the Criminology, Prisons and Policing pathway, based in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, brings together a diverse team of criminologists working at the forefront of the discipline. Staff and research students collaborate across institutions and sectors, co-producing knowledge with a wide range of partners and policymakers. Colleagues have led pioneering research on policing, organised crime, illicit markets, violence and abuse, social harm, green criminology, drugs, social disorder, criminological theory, prisons, mental health services, restorative justice, and offender rehabilitation. Much of this is cross-national and extends beyond the traditional remit of police services and the criminal justice sector, including in work undertaken by the Centre for Crime and Policing and through the Gendered Violence and Abuse Interdisciplinary Research Theme.

The Criminology, Prisons and Policing pathway at Queen’s University Belfast is located in the School of Social Sciences, Education and Social Work. Criminology at Queen’s is ranked 7^th (out of 88) in The Times UK University Rankings 2026 and is led by a diverse team whose research expertise spans conflict and its legacy, international and transnational criminology, policing, prisons, risk behaviours, transitional justice, trauma, victimology, violence and youth justice. Colleagues engage in world-leading research which has influenced policy and practice locally, nationally and globally through our extensive collaborations with a range of external partners. The Criminology team, and our PhD students, are aligned with the Institute of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Queen’s, as well as represented in a range of interdisciplinary research groups across the university. These include collaborations on methodological innovation facilitated by the MethodsLab, which draw on specific expertise on the analysis of large quantitative datasets, participatory research, research with children and young people, programme evaluation, critical discourse analysis and narrative analysis.

At the University of Sunderland, the Criminology, Prisons and Policing PhD pathway offers the opportunity to join a vibrant community of research-active academics driving innovation across the Social Sciences and Law. Working within or alongside our Centre for Applied Social Sciences and the Institute for Economic and Social Inclusion, students can engage with pioneering research on topics including sexual violence, domestic abuse, hate crime, online harms, policing, youth justice, and counterterrorism. We collaborate closely with external partners to ensure real-world impact. We invite ambitious researchers to join us in shaping safer, fairer societies through cutting-edge, socially engaged doctoral research.

At Teesside University, the Criminology, Prisons and Policing pathway is based within the School of Social Sciences, Humanities, and Law, and is supported by the International Centre for Policing and Security and the Policing Clinic, which provides an innovative model for applied and collaborative evidence-based research with policing and criminal justice partners. Our diverse team of interdisciplinary researchers brings expertise across policing, prisons and rehabilitation, youth justice, terrorism, organised crime, victimology, crime analysis, and criminal investigation. We maintain strong partnerships with local and regional stakeholders, including police forces, prisons, courts, youth justice services, legal professionals, and numerous VCS organisations, ensuring that our research informs policy, improves practice, and supports safer, fairer communities. We welcome innovative and forward-thinking PhD proposals that engage critically and collaboratively with contemporary challenges in crime, justice, and policing.

Ulster University’s Criminology and Criminal Justice Research Centre is internationally recognised for its critical and interdisciplinary approach to understanding crime, harm, and justice. Our work spans traditional and emerging issues — from desistance, prisons, and policing to cybercrime, state crime, environmental harm, and transnational corporate crime. Our academic team investigate how power, inequality, and intersectional social structures shape offending, victimisation, and justice responses at local, national, and global levels. Drawing on diverse theoretical and methodological traditions, with a special focus on creativity and innovation, our vibrant doctoral community engages with real-world challenges, contributing to progressive approaches for remedying harm and building social landscapes that challenge marginalisation and abuses of power.