Gambling harms and probation supervision in England and Wales

Our project aims to understand how gambling harms are experienced by those under probation supervision and how these can be addressed.

Little is known about the gambling behaviours and gambling harms experienced by people under probation supervision.

This exploratory qualitative study aims to understand how gambling and gambling harms may be experienced by those under probation supervision and explore how these may be understood and addressed as part of probation work - for example, in pre-sentence reports, sentence planning, license conditions, community supervision, and wider policy and strategy.

We are currently undertaking in-depth interviews and focus groups with people with lived experience of gambling and probation supervision, probation staff and key stakeholders (including those working across the Criminal Justice System and in gambling support services).

The work is being undertaken across three probation regions - Wales, London and the East of England - and is guided by a Lived Experience Advisory Group (LEAG) with men and women who have lived experience of both gambling harms and the criminal justice system. The final report is due to be submitted to the funders by October 2024.

Findings from our research are being fed back to His Majesty's Prison and Probation Service, alongside services for justice-involved people, and gambling support services.

If you would like to take part in the research, or request more information, please fill out the brief expression of interest form.

Meet the Principal Investigator(s) for the project

Julie Trebilcock - I am a Senior Lecturer in Criminology with more than fifteen years experience of working in higher education, and of conducting research in the field of forensic mental health and imprisonment. My research interests have diversified through my career, but have been primarily focused with the management of violent and sexual offenders with personality disorder. I have experience of researching the institutional pathways and legal authority by which high risk offenders are detained, Parole Board and Mental Health Tribunal decision-making, and the staffing challenges involved with working with offenders with personality disorder. In the last five years, I have been involved (as a co-investigator) with two national evaluations of the Offender Personality Disorder (OPD) Pathway (one with men, one with women). I have also published widely in the field of mental health and offending, and am author (along with Dr Sam Weston) of the book Mental Health and Offending: Care, Coercion and Control, which was published by Routledge in 2019. I have close links with the Howard League and currently sit on their Research Advisory Group. I have also been commissioned by them on several occasions to undertake research, with people serving short prison sentences and, people affected by gambling and crime. In the last 2-3 years I have also been exploring other areas of interest, leading me to publish work in relation to the motivations students have to study criminology, immigration policies in the UK, and prescription medication guidance in prisons.

Related Research Group(s)

Harm and Justice Research Group - The Harm and Justice Research Group brings together a diverse group of researchers, advocates, and practitioners from across the University who work on issues of harm and justice.

Project last modified 10/07/2024