Philip Hodgson

Doing drugs research in the criminal justice system: Some notes from the field

Dietary polyphenols are suggested to elevate plasma total homocysteine concentration (tHcy). Although tea is rich in polyphenols, it has been associated with lower tHcy, which may be due to its folate content. Our aims were to investigate relationships of tea intake and 4-O-methylgallic acid (4OMGA)--a biomarker of exposure to tea-derived polyphenols--with tHcy in older women. In a cross-sectional study of 232 women over 70 years of age, we measured tHcy, tea intake, 24 h urinary excretion of 4OMGA, and red cell folate. Tea intake and 4OMGA excretion were inversely related to tHcy. Tea intake (>2 cups) and 4OMGA excretion above the median were associated with lower tHcy by approximately 1 mmol/L (P <0.01). Red cell folate was not associated with tea intake or 4OMGA excretion. The observed lower tHcy in women with higher tea intake is consistent in direction and magnitude with previous epidemiological studies, but any mechanisms remain unclear.The increasing emphasis on the drug–crime link in British drug policy in recent years has had a knock-on effect on British drugs research. Research is now taking place more and more within the criminal justice system, rather than exclusively in the traditional sites of the community or drug treatment services. This shift has posed some significant challenges for drugs researchers but these have been little discussed to date. This article aims to address this gap by critically reflecting on the recent experiences of a team of researchers engaged in a drugs research study that involved interviewing arrestees in police custody suites. Key issues raised include gaining access to research sites, establishing a clear research identity, and ethical concerns. Some recommendations for research practice are made.

Anti-social behaviour, community and radical moral communitarianism

Abstract This article offers an insight into the lives of individuals who are repeat victims of antisocial behaviour (ASB). Drawing on data derived from 15 case studies, the authors demonstrate the plight that such victims endure on a daily basis. The research reveals that a number of victims feel abandoned by their communities and the authorities and, how for many, there is an overwhelming sense of being “trapped” within their own homes. The article also offers evidence to support previous claims that police crime data only captures a small proportion of the actual number of incidents of ASB that occur. We conclude by proposing an emphasis on individual and community responsibility and suggest that by adopting a radical moral communitarian approach ASB could be reduced as part of rebuilding communities.

'We've stood on that precipice': police, organisation, and the anomalous Child Protection Unit

UK police services constantly endure pressures to reduce spending and to reorganise in ways thought to be more effi cient. In these moments of scrutiny, non-standard work practices become more noticeable. We report a study of a specialist unit, the Child Protection Unit (CPU), in one police service. In 2011, an initial exploratory interview with the unit head was followed by two discussion groups carried out with a three month gap between them. We found the unit existing and working dynamically between two forces: (a) the needs and expectations of society regarding child protection and (b) how more general expectations and needs regarding crime are normally met by the police service. While ‘traditional’ policing might see the offender successfully prosecuted, there can be deleterious effects on the victim. In consequence, CPU members are: more focused on and sensitive to the victim leading to a risk management philosophy; are more team-oriented with greater awareness of and sense of responsibility for each other; receive greater public support than other parts of the service. These differences result in the CPU members having non-standard organisational and operational work practices: they are less performance target-based; they investigate and prosecute a smaller number of cases; they use different documentation; they are not available to help with other work at times of greater general demand on the police service. Thus existing dynamically and anomalously, the unit’s very vulnerability that helps its members to do their diffi cult job also raises their profi le and increases vulnerability to fi nancial cuts. Their precipice in the title quotation is at several levels. We theorise our fi ndings using contingency and cultural theories believing the fi ndings relevant to other organisations with specialist units.

Trust, Coercion and Care: Researching Marginalised Groups

Purpose – To consider the possibility that research ethics committee perceptions of risk is tainted by their social distance from marginalised social groups and their lack of familiarity with carrying out fieldwork with criminally involved individuals. And to reflect on the potential for the negative perceptions create a vicious cycle by corroding trust and creating an over-reliance on a rigid interpretation of the ethical guidelines leading to tighter restrictions on researcher conduct. Methodology/approach – Drawing on our experience of carrying out longitudinal research with a group of hard to reach drug using offenders the chapter uses case studies to offer a reflexive account of the practical problems raised by the research. Findings – It provides examples of the way the ethical boundaries can be stretched and broken by the circumstances of the research. This arises, in part, from the tension of maintaining a trustful relationship with the participant or taking action that is in their interest and abiding by the ethical guidelines. The vicious cycle could be broken by changing the approach to ethical procedures by placing the care of the participants at the heart of the process and by giving due weight to their social circumstances. An ethics of care approach would shift the way researcher obligation to the participants and the project is conceptualised. Originality/value of paper – The paper makes a valuable contribution to the debate about the negative impact of bureaucratic procedures on academic research among marginalised groups.

Social Unrest in the UK and Turkey: Rethinking Police Violence against Dissident Communities

The present study explores police violence during the riots in London and Gezi Park protests in Istanbul. This study puts forth that the rise of social injustice in the UK and the erosion of plural democracy in Turkey clarify the paradox of state intervention because the two states prioritized rapid repression of uprising without consolidating public trust and social justice in the society. This comparative study reveals that the liberal and non-religious elements of the capitalist ruling system in the UK contain similar fractions of state repression when compared to the authoritarian and religious elements of the capitalist ruling system in Turkey. The authors conclude that police violence endures the social control of dissident communities while it maintains the sustainability of different capitalist ruling systems in the periods of social unrest.

Dependency Networks Extractions from Textual Sources in Criminology: An Initial Implementation

The acquisition and understanding of data is of paramount importance in any scientific context. However, the complexity of data due to its exponentially increasing size, its dynamical properties, and its internal contradictory information, raises huge challenges, which are at the core of Big Data science. In this paper, we discuss an automatic method to identify, rank and discover knowledge specifically focusing on Criminology research. Our main motivation is to create a set of tools to guide criminology experts through the decision process and knowledge discovery. In our validation we will show the clear potential of the proposed method.

Doing drugs research in the criminal justice system

Dietary polyphenols are suggested to elevate plasma total homocysteine concentration (tHcy). Although tea is rich in polyphenols, it has been associated with lower tHcy, which may be due to its folate content. Our aims were to investigate relationships of tea intake and 4-O-methylgallic acid (4OMGA)--a biomarker of exposure to tea-derived polyphenols--with tHcy in older women. In a cross-sectional study of 232 women over 70 years of age, we measured tHcy, tea intake, 24 h urinary excretion of 4OMGA, and red cell folate. Tea intake and 4OMGA excretion were inversely related to tHcy. Tea intake (>2 cups) and 4OMGA excretion above the median were associated with lower tHcy by approximately 1 mmol/L (P <0.01). Red cell folate was not associated with tea intake or 4OMGA excretion. The observed lower tHcy in women with higher tea intake is consistent in direction and magnitude with previous epidemiological studies, but any mechanisms remain unclear.The increasing emphasis on the drug–crime link in British drug policy in recent years has had a knock-on effect on British drugs research. Research is now taking place more and more within the criminal justice system, rather than exclusively in the traditional sites of the community or drug treatment services. This shift has posed some significant challenges for drugs researchers but these have been little discussed to date. This article aims to address this gap by critically reflecting on the recent experiences of a team of researchers engaged in a drugs research study that involved interviewing arrestees in police custody suites. Key issues raised include gaining access to research sites, establishing a clear research identity, and ethical concerns. Some recommendations for research practice are made.