Research and scholarship
Research and scholarship
Mary Corcoran’s theoretical and empirical work addresses two societal problems: The first is how to reduce society’s excessive reliance on imprisonment by developing approaches, thinking and practices for creating humanitarian alternatives to prison, and supporting people to live settled lives free from conflict with the criminal justice system. These questions contribute to ‘real world’ co-productive research and problem-solving with those directly affected by crime and imprisonment. Her research on imprisonment and community punishment, with particular reference to minoritised prisoner groups (political prisoners; women; older prisoners; bereaved prisoners), has informed the design of gender-responsive and community-based services. This work encompasses several collaborations with academics and practitioners from palliative care, nursing, law, ethics, and prison and probation service personnel.
Her second theme focuses on the voluntary sector/NGOs in criminal justice. That work critically engages with the ethics, practices, experiences and politics of for-profit and voluntary sector involvement in penal spheres. Mary has worked with small, national and international charities and NGOs. One strand of this research relates to concerns with the marketisation and regulation of civic social work and voluntary activism, leading to work on possible implications for de-democratising justice systems. In answer, She is currently working with colleagues at Glasgow and Strathclyde Universities to develop concepts, practices and methods relating to ‘generative justice’. This involves working with justice-affected people to generate social relationships and solidarity weakened by crime and by criminal justice processes by placing recognition, redistribution and representation at the heart of rebuilding societal relationships and sustainable modes of doing justice.
Mary has contributed her expertise as speaker, advisor, and board member to the work of major charities, government departments, trade unions and research institutes. She has contributed to strategic thinking at local government level as Chair of the Community Safety Partnership in Bath and North East Somerset, and advisor to the Staffordshire Police and Crime Commissioner. Mary serves on the academic advisory boards for the Probation Institute for England and Wales, and for two charities, as well as advising government departments and international NGOs. She is also a member of editorial advisory boards for academic journals.
Funded research projects
- 2022 ‘Generative Justice: Exploring how communities re/create solidarity after crime and punishment’, Independent Social Research Foundation. (£4,890).
- 2017-18; Making the connection: linking classroom-based with work-related learning by Criminology students. Higher Education Funding Council for England. (£49,980).
- 2017-18: Bereavement and loss among children and young people in custody. Barrow Cadbury Trust. (£21,254).
- 2015-17 Principal Investigator, Voluntary sector adaptation and resilience in the mixed economy of resettlement in England and Wales. Leverhulme Trust research grant. (£161,064).
- April 2013-August 2014: Principal Investigator, Youth in Focus ‘Sisters’ Mentoring Project Spurgeon’s and The Big Lottery. (£34,963).
- 2013-14. The Staffordshire Integrated Offender Management Programme 2013. (Staffordshire Police. (£25,649)
- 2011-24: Principal Investigator, The voluntary sector role in promoting desistance through offender mentoring PhD CASE Studentship. Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC). (£31,430).
- 2011-12: The role of the Magistracy in the 21st century. Magistrates’ Association. (£5,994).
- 2010-2012: The third sector role in criminal justice 2010. Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) research seminar series. (£15,700).
- 2010-11: Principal Investigator, Evaluation of Chepstow House Community Project for Women Offenders, Brighter Futures. (£9,395).
- 2006. Principal Investigator, Peer Mentoring in Prisons in England and Wales: The Listener Programme (studentship) Samaritans. (£42,000).
