David Wilson (Criminologist)
Encyclopedia
David Wilson is Professor
of Criminology
and Criminal Justice
at Birmingham City University
.
Wilson studied at the University of Glasgow (1975–79), Selwyn College
, Cambridge
, and at the Cambridge Institute of Criminology
, where he gained a PhD
in 1983. He joined Her Majesty's Prison Service
as a junior prison governor
. It is often stated that at the age of 29, he became the youngest governor in the country. That assertion is based the fact that he was a junior governor grade who was briefly in charge of Finnamore Wood camp, which was a small annexe to HM YOI Huntercombe. He worked at HMP Wormwood Scrubs
, HMP Grendon
, HMP Woodhill
, and HM YOI Finnamore Wood, though he was never appointed as governor in charge of a prison. Whilst at HMP Woodhill, Wilson designed and managed the two units for the twelve most disruptive prisoners in the country. Latterly he was Head of Prison officer
and Operational Training in the Prison Service - on whose behalf he made official visits to Northern Ireland
and the U.S.
, and on behalf of the Council of Europe
to Albania
.
He resigned from Her Majesty's Prison Service
in protest at prison conditions. After a short time with the Prison Reform Trust
, he joined University of Central England in Birmingham
(now Birmingham City University) and was given a professorship in 2000. He has published widely on the criminal justice system generally and prisons specifically, and is the Editor of The Howard Journal of Criminal Justice
. He appears regularly on the TV and radio both as a commentator about the criminal justice system and as a presenter.
Wilson's interests range from practical interventions in current debates in criminal justice
policy
and practice, to more academic considerations of portrayals of prisons and prisoners in literature
. He has recently completed an assessment of Charles Dickens
' reportage of prisons, to be published as 'Testing a Civilisation – Charles Dickens on the American Penitentiary System' in Essays in Honour of Professor W R Brock.
He is Vice-Chair of the Howard League for Penal Reform
; a trustee
of New Bridge; former Chair of the Forum on Prisoner Education
; and a patron
of the Friends of Grendon Prison. He is married to a lawyer
and they live in Buckinghamshire
with their two children.
He is the Editor of The Howard Journal of Criminal Justice
- one of the premier criminology journals in the UK, and is the author of at least 15 books. His most recent work is A History of British Serial Killing (London: Sphere). He is a regular contributor to the press and broadcaster who writes mostly for The Guardian
. On TV he presented four series of The Crime Squad for BBC1, and also Leave No Trace and Too Young to Die? about the plight of young people on death row in the USA. On BBC2 he presented Who Killed Ivan the Terrible? and was an expert on the game show Identity. His last series was Banged Up for Channel 5 which was nominated for an RTS award.
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
of Criminology
Criminology
Criminology is the scientific study of the nature, extent, causes, and control of criminal behavior in both the individual and in society...
and Criminal Justice
Criminal justice
Criminal Justice is the system of practices and institutions of governments directed at upholding social control, deterring and mitigating crime, or sanctioning those who violate laws with criminal penalties and rehabilitation efforts...
at Birmingham City University
Birmingham City University
Birmingham City University is a British university in the city of Birmingham, England. It is the second largest of three universities in the city, the other two being the Aston University and University of Birmingham...
.
Wilson studied at the University of Glasgow (1975–79), Selwyn College
Selwyn College, Cambridge
Selwyn College is a constituent college in the University of Cambridge in England, United Kingdom.The college was founded by the Selwyn Memorial Committee in memory of the Rt Reverend George Selwyn , who rowed on the Cambridge crew in the first Varsity Boat Race in 1829, and went on to become the...
, Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
, and at the Cambridge Institute of Criminology
Cambridge Institute of Criminology
The Cambridge Institute of Criminology was founded in 1959, with the support of a benefaction from the Wolfson Foundation and the Howard League for Penal Reform. It is part of the University of Cambridge's Faculty of Law, but its multidisciplinary teaching and research staff are also recruited from...
, where he gained a PhD
PHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in 1983. He joined Her Majesty's Prison Service
Her Majesty's Prison Service
Her Majesty's Prison Service is a part of the National Offender Management Service of the Government of the United Kingdom tasked with managing most of the prisons within England and Wales...
as a junior prison governor
Prison Governor
In the UK, a Prison Governor is responsible for the management and security of a prison, jail, remand centre and young offenders' institution. In India and Pakistan, the head of a District, Central, Women or special Prison/Jail is called Superintendent of Jail, Superintendent Jail, Senior...
. It is often stated that at the age of 29, he became the youngest governor in the country. That assertion is based the fact that he was a junior governor grade who was briefly in charge of Finnamore Wood camp, which was a small annexe to HM YOI Huntercombe. He worked at HMP Wormwood Scrubs
Wormwood Scrubs
Wormwood Scrubs, known locally as The Scrubs, is an open space located in the north-eastern corner of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in west London. It is the largest open space in the Borough, at 80 ha , and one of the largest areas of common land in London...
, HMP Grendon
Grendon (HM Prison)
HM Prison Grendon is a Category B men's prison, located in village of Grendon Underwood, in Buckinghamshire, England. The prison is operated by Her Majesty's Prison Service, and is jointly managed with HMP Spring Hill which is situated next to Grendon....
, HMP Woodhill
Woodhill (HM Prison)
HM Prison Woodhill is a Category A men's prison and Young Offenders Institution, located in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, England. Woodhill Prison is operated by Her Majesty's Prison Service.-History:...
, and HM YOI Finnamore Wood, though he was never appointed as governor in charge of a prison. Whilst at HMP Woodhill, Wilson designed and managed the two units for the twelve most disruptive prisoners in the country. Latterly he was Head of Prison officer
Prison officer
A prison officer , also referred to as a corrections officer , correctional officer , or detention officer , is a person charged with the responsibility of the supervision, safety and security of prisoners in a prison, jail, or similar form of secure...
and Operational Training in the Prison Service - on whose behalf he made official visits to Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
and the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and on behalf of the Council of Europe
Council of Europe
The Council of Europe is an international organisation promoting co-operation between all countries of Europe in the areas of legal standards, human rights, democratic development, the rule of law and cultural co-operation...
to Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
.
He resigned from Her Majesty's Prison Service
Her Majesty's Prison Service
Her Majesty's Prison Service is a part of the National Offender Management Service of the Government of the United Kingdom tasked with managing most of the prisons within England and Wales...
in protest at prison conditions. After a short time with the Prison Reform Trust
Prison Reform Trust
The Prison Reform Trust was founded in 1981 in London, England by a small group of prison reform campaigners who were unhappy with the direction in which the Howard League for Penal Reform was heading, concentrating more on community punishments than on traditional prison reform issues...
, he joined University of Central England in Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
(now Birmingham City University) and was given a professorship in 2000. He has published widely on the criminal justice system generally and prisons specifically, and is the Editor of The Howard Journal of Criminal Justice
Howard Journal of Criminal Justice
The Howard Journal of Criminal Justice is an academic journal published by the Howard League for Penal Reform five times each year. The editors are David Wilson , Tony Fowles, and J. Robert Lilly.-External links:*...
. He appears regularly on the TV and radio both as a commentator about the criminal justice system and as a presenter.
Wilson's interests range from practical interventions in current debates in criminal justice
Criminal justice
Criminal Justice is the system of practices and institutions of governments directed at upholding social control, deterring and mitigating crime, or sanctioning those who violate laws with criminal penalties and rehabilitation efforts...
policy
Policy
A policy is typically described as a principle or rule to guide decisions and achieve rational outcome. The term is not normally used to denote what is actually done, this is normally referred to as either procedure or protocol...
and practice, to more academic considerations of portrayals of prisons and prisoners in literature
Literature
Literature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...
. He has recently completed an assessment of Charles Dickens
Charles Dickens
Charles John Huffam Dickens was an English novelist, generally considered the greatest of the Victorian period. Dickens enjoyed a wider popularity and fame than had any previous author during his lifetime, and he remains popular, having been responsible for some of English literature's most iconic...
' reportage of prisons, to be published as 'Testing a Civilisation – Charles Dickens on the American Penitentiary System' in Essays in Honour of Professor W R Brock.
He is Vice-Chair of the Howard League for Penal Reform
Howard League for Penal Reform
The Howard League for Penal Reform is a London-based registered charity in the United Kingdom. It is the oldest penal reform organisation in the world, named after John Howard. Founded in 1866 as the Howard Association, a merger with the Penal Reform League in 1921 created the Howard League for...
; a trustee
Trustee
Trustee is a legal term which, in its broadest sense, can refer to any person who holds property, authority, or a position of trust or responsibility for the benefit of another...
of New Bridge; former Chair of the Forum on Prisoner Education
Forum on Prisoner Education
The Forum on Prisoner Education was a UK registered charity founded in 2000 to campaign to improve prison education in England & Wales. Its founding members included Professor David Wilson , and a manager of education at HMP Wandsworth in London....
; and a patron
Patrón
Patrón is a luxury brand of tequila produced in Mexico and sold in hand-blown, individually numbered bottles.Made entirely from Blue Agave "piñas" , Patrón comes in five varieties: Silver, Añejo, Reposado, Gran Patrón Platinum and Gran Patrón Burdeos. Patrón also sells a tequila-coffee blend known...
of the Friends of Grendon Prison. He is married to a lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
and they live in Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
with their two children.
He is the Editor of The Howard Journal of Criminal Justice
Howard Journal of Criminal Justice
The Howard Journal of Criminal Justice is an academic journal published by the Howard League for Penal Reform five times each year. The editors are David Wilson , Tony Fowles, and J. Robert Lilly.-External links:*...
- one of the premier criminology journals in the UK, and is the author of at least 15 books. His most recent work is A History of British Serial Killing (London: Sphere). He is a regular contributor to the press and broadcaster who writes mostly for The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
. On TV he presented four series of The Crime Squad for BBC1, and also Leave No Trace and Too Young to Die? about the plight of young people on death row in the USA. On BBC2 he presented Who Killed Ivan the Terrible? and was an expert on the game show Identity. His last series was Banged Up for Channel 5 which was nominated for an RTS award.