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Professor Mike Maguire

Emeritus Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice

School of Social Sciences

Overview

Mike Maguire spent most of his early career (1975-1989) at the Oxford University Centre for Criminological Research, latterly as a senior research fellow.  He was employed full-time at Cardiff University from 1989 to 2005, being promoted to Professor in 1995.  From 2005 he worked part-time at both Cardiff University and the University of Glamorgan, before becoming Emeritus in Cardiff in 2010.  He is currently Director of the Welsh Centre for Crime and Social Justice, which promotes collaborative research and other activities across seven member universities in Wales.

Research

Desistance from crime, particularly the resettlement of prisoners. Specific interest in mentoring and the role of the Third Sector.

Policing and crime control, especially 'targeted' and 'intelligence led' policing, 'risk' based crime control strategies, and partnership between police, criminal justice and other agencies. Research interests have spanned the reasons for these developments, their 'effectiveness' in relation to crime, and issues of regulation and accountability.

Devolution and crime control. Professor Maguire is Director of the Welsh Centre for Crime and Social Justice which links seven universities in Wales and has close links with the Scottish Centre for Crime and Justice.

Main Research Grants 2001-10

  • 2010  (with Aberystwyth and 3 other Welsh HEIs) Establishment of Welsh Centre for Crime and Social Justice (HEFCW's Strategic Development Fund).
  • 2008  (with H. Pierpoint and CRG)  Fine Payment Work Process Study (Ministry of Justice).
  • 2008 (with K. Holloway and ARCS) Evaluation of Transitional Support Scheme (Welsh Assembly Government)
  • 2003-06: South-West Integration Project (various funders)
  • 2002-04: Prisoner Resettlement Pathfinders Phase 2 (Home Office)
  • 2000-03: Targeted Policing (3 projects, Home Office)
  • 1999-02: Prisoner Resettlement Pathfinders Phase 1 (Home Office)

Current Research Projects

Recently completed various studies relating to the resettlement of prisoners, with a special focus on mentoring.  Awaiting results of further bids in this area.  Consultant to a large-scale study on prisoners and mental health (Plymouth University and others).  Also awaiting result of ESRC bid with Edinburgh University on 'Crime control and devolution'.

Biography

Professional memberships

Professor Maguire is active in a number of national and international fora, both academic and policy-related. In the academic domain, he has been on various ESRC committees, is an Associate Editor of the European Journal of Crime, Criminal Law and Criminal Justice, and of Criminology and Criminal Justice, and is on the Board of the British Journal of Criminology. He co-edits the leading British Criminology textbook, The Oxford Handbook of Criminology, and has edited a successful series of Open University Press texts. He was a co-organiser of the British Criminology Conference. He has also spoken at major international conferences in inter alia the USA, India, Belgium and the Netherlands.  He was a leading partner in a successful inter-institutional bid to HEFCW to set up the Welsh Centre for Crime and Social Justice, and in 2010 became the first Director of the Centre.

In the policy domain, he is a member of the national Correctional Services Accreditation Panel and is an ex-member of the Parole Board of England and Wales. From 2001-2010 he was Senior Academic Advisor to the Home Office Crime Reduction Director in the National Assembly for Wales, and was a member of the South Wales Probation Board between 2001 and 2007. He has sat on high level working parties (eg two set up by JUSTICE and Liberty) and has acted as an expert witness to the Welsh Affairs Committee and other government committees and inquiries. He has been a keynote speaker at major policy-related conferences, including events organized by Victim Support, Europol and the Association of Chief Police Officers. He has contributed to high level practitioner training, is a regular referee of Home Office publications, and has often acted as a consultant to the Home Office and Ministry of Justice. He is a member (formerly Chair) of the Board of Trustees of Safer Wales.