Katherine Albertson

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Dr Katherine Albertson PhD, BA (Hons), PgCert, FHEA

Senior Lecturer in Criminology


Summary

I joined the teaching team at the Department of Law and Criminology in 2014, having previously been a Research Fellow. I maintain a significant research and publication profile around three substantive areas: Health and Justice; the social and relational aspects of desistance from crime; and military veterans in the criminal justice system alongside Armed Forces Community issues more broadly.



About

I am a senior lecturer in Criminology at the College of Social Sciences and Arts. I have extensive experience of conducting research and evaluation across the criminal justice sector, focussing on areas of Health and Justice, the social and relational aspects of desistance from crime and military veterans in the criminal justice system alongside an interest in the Armed Forces Community more broadly.

Teaching

Sheffield Institute of Law and Justice

College of Social Sciences and Arts

I teach across the Criminology degree across all levels. I have been involved in a Comparative Criminal Justice Summer School, which involved taking 15 Criminology students on an international visit to prisons in Finland, Estonia and Russia. I have developed new and innovative materials distinguishing the Human Rights approach to research for the MA in Human Rights. My veterans' research has informed the development of new Human Rights and Social Justice Module material. I am module leader for the first year module- Applying Criminology. I supervise third year dissertation research projects and have negotiated external third year student primary research placements within my external agency networks. I have received a student body nomination for the Faculty's Inspirational Teaching award every year since joining the teaching team. I have also received a student body nomination for Outstanding Student Support and a Faculty nomination for International Women's Day for my external roles.


Research

I am currently involved in a research project regarding the Community Hubs model of delivering Probation Services and supporting desistance from crime. I have recently completed a two year regional Armed Forces Community Covenant project in partnership with York St John University military awareness training team, Sheffield City Council, Doncaster, Rotherham and Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Councils. As a direct result of this project work, South Yorkshire has a regional Armed Forces Covenant Action plan in place. I have been involved in the evaluation of an innovative veteran-specific recovery project focusing on establishing the impact on veterans engaging in this Addaction-run initiative. I have conducted a study investigated the potential relationships between identity transition, offending and substance misuse, through the desistance and recovery narratives of ex-military service participants engaging in recovery support services. I was also involved in the first national UK Life in Recovery Survey project, establishing the addiction recovery experiences of the UK population.



Publications

Journal articles

Albertson, K., & Albertson, K. (2022). Social capital, mutual aid, and desistance: a theoretically integrated social capital building process model. The British Journal of Criminology: an international review of crime and society. http://doi.org/10.1093/bjc/azac093

Albertson, K., Phillips, J., Fowler, A., & Collinson, B. (2020). Who owns desistance? A triad of agency enabling social structures in the desistance process. Theoretical Criminology: an international journal. http://doi.org/10.1177/1362480620968084

Phillips, J., Albertson, K., Collinson, B., & Fowler, A. (2020). Delivering desistance-focused probation in community hubs: five key ingredients. Probation Journal: the journal of community and criminal justice. http://doi.org/10.1177/0264550520939176

Albertson, K. (2019). Relational legacies impacting on veteran transition from military to civilian life: trajectories of acquisition, loss and re-formulation of a sense of belonging. Illness, crisis & loss, 27 (4), 255-273. http://doi.org/10.1177/1054137319834773

Albertson, K., Taylor, P., & Murray, E. (2019). Place, space and identity: the manifold experience of transition in and after the military. Illness, Crisis & Loss. http://doi.org/10.1177/1054137319834762

Banks, J., & Albertson, K. (2018). Veterans and violence: an exploration of pre-enlistment, military and post-service life. European Journal of Criminology, 15 (6), 730-747. http://doi.org/10.1177/1477370818764825

Best, D., Savic, M., Bathish, R., Edwards, M., Irving, J., Cano, I., & Albertson, K. (2018). Life in recovery in Australia and the United Kingdom : do stages of recovery differ across national boundaries? Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly. http://doi.org/10.1080/07347324.2018.1492336

Albertson, K., Banks, J., & Murray, E. (2017). Military Veteran-offenders: Making sense of developments in the debate to inform service delivery. Prison Service Journal, 234, 23-30. https://www.crimeandjustice.org.uk/sites/crimeandjustice.org.uk/files/PSJ%20234%20November%202017.pdf

Albertson, K., & O'Keeffe, C. (2016). The challenges of outcome measurement for arts practitioners in the criminal justice sector. The Howard Journal Of Criminal Justice, 55 (4), 496-513. http://doi.org/10.1111/hojo.12183

Best, D., Irving, J., & Albertson, K. (2016). Recovery and desistance : what the emerging recovery movement in the alcohol and drug area can learn from models of desistance from offending. Addiction Theory and Research, 25 (1), 1-10. http://doi.org/10.1080/16066359.2016.1185661

Albertson, K., Pateman, M., Albertson, K., Barnes, A., & Peplow, D. (2016). The role of the arts, humanities and social sciences in forming and informing responses to contemporary social change. The International Journal of Interdisciplinary Civic and Political Studies, 11 (2), 29-46. http://doi.org/10.18848/2327-0071/CGP/v11i02/29-46

Tomczak, P., & Albertson, K. (2016). Prisoner relationships with voluntary sector practitioners. The Howard Journal Of Crime and Justice, 55 (1-2), 57-72. http://doi.org/10.1111/hojo.12164

Albertson, K., Irving, J., & Best, D. (2015). A Social Capital approach to assisting veterans through recovery and desistance transitions in civilian life. The Howard Journal Of Criminal Justice, 54 (4), 384-396. http://doi.org/10.1111/hojo.12138

Albertson, K. (2015). Creativity, self-exploration and change: creative-arts based activities and transformational identity desistance narratives. The Howard Journal Of Criminal Justice, 54 (3), 277-291. http://doi.org/10.1111/hojo.12131

Bird, H., & Albertson, K. (2011). Prisoners as citizens, big society and the rehabilitation revolution : truly revolutionary? British journal of community justice, 9 (1/2), 93-109. http://www.cjp.org.uk/bjcj/volume-9-issue-1-2/

Bird, H., & Albertson, K.E. (2011). Prisoners as citizens: 'big society' and the 'rehabilitation revolution' - truly revolutionary? British Journal of Community Justice, 9 (1-2), 93-109.

Albertson, K., & Nandi, M. (2009). Inside job at HMP Downview : media and employment, training & education opportunities in prison. Prison Service Journal, 182, 48-52. http://www.crimeandjustice.org.uk/publications/psj

Albertson, K., & Flintoff, P. (2008). Prison staff and voluntary sector working together to break the cycle of domestic violence : a case study. Prison Service Journal, 176, 26-33. http://www.crimeandjustice.org.uk/publications/psj

Wilkinson (nee Albertson), K., & Greenshields, J. (2007). Inside Innovation: Fostering the spirit of enterprise amongst Prison Service Staff. Prison Service Journal, 172, 17-23. http://www.crimeandjustice.org.uk/publications/psj

Conference papers

Cadet, N., Albertson, K., & Miles-Berry, T. (2019). Simulated learning: Assessing student perceptions of skill development and employability in a criminology course. In European Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Conference, University of Bilbao, 13 June 2019 - 14 June 2019 (pp. 56-63). Servicio Editorial de la Universidad del Pais Vasco/Euskal Herriko Unibertsitateko Argitalpen Zerbitzua

Book chapters

Albertson, K., Burke, C., & Lessing-Turner, G. (2019). Mother figures behind bars: Pregnant women and mothers in prison in England and Wales. In Portier-Le Cocq, F. (Ed.) Motherhood in Contemporary International Perspectives: Continuity and Change. Routledge: Abingdon, Oxfordshire, Routledge Research in Gender and Society Series, (Eds) Fabienne Portier-Le Cocq. Routledge: https://www.routledge.com/Motherhood-in-Contemporary-International-Perspective-Continuity-and-Change/Portier-Le-Cocq/p/book/9780367188436

Albertson, K., & Hall, L. (2019). Building social capital to encourage desistance: Lessons from a veteran-specific project. In Ugwudike, P., Graham, H., McNeill, F., Taxman, F.S., & Trotter, C. (Eds.) The Routledge Companion to Rehabilitative Work in Criminal Justice. Routledge

Hamilton, P., & Albertson, K. (2015). Reflections on values and ethics in narrative inquiry with (ex-)offenders. In Cowburn, M., Duggan, M., Robinson, A., & Senior, P. (Eds.) Values in criminology and community justice. (pp. 329-342). London: Policy Press

Albertson, K., Albertson, K., Fox, C., & Ellingworth, D. (2015). Economic values and evidence: evaluating criminal justice policy. In Cowburn, M., Duggan, M., Robinson, A., & Senior, P. (Eds.) Values in criminology and community justice. (pp. 313-328). London: Policy Press

Albertson, K., O'Keeffe, C., Burke, C., Lessing-Turner, G., & Renfrew, M. (2014). Addressing health inequalities for mothers and babies in prison: findings from a consultation exercise. In Todd, A., & Hirst, J. (Eds.) Health and Inequality: Applying Public Health Research to Policy and Practice. (pp. 39-47). Abingdon: Routledge

Miles-Berry, T., Cadet, N., & Albertson, K. (n.d.). Evaluating the realities of criminal justice through simulation. In Evaluating the realities of criminal justice through simulation. LTA

Books

Taylor, P., Murray, E., & Albertson, K. (Eds.). (2019). Military Past, Civilian Present International Perspectives on Veterans' Transition from the Armed Forces. Springer. https://www.springer.com/gp/book/9783030308285

Reports

Phillips, J., Ward, J., Albertson, K., Cracknell, M., Duke, K., Fowler, A., & Riley, L. (2024). Process evaluation of the Newham Y2A Hub. Evaluating the implementation of a specialist youth to adulthood transitions service in probation. Ministry of Justice. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/process-evaluation-of-the-newham-y2a-hub#:~:text=The%20hub%20used%20a%20co,the%20Hub%20was%20implemented%20well

Albertson, K. (2024). CFO Discovery wings Peer mentor initiative at HMP Risley. HMPPS. https://www.shu.ac.uk/helena-kennedy-centre-international-justice/research-and-projects/all-projects/prison-study-series

Albertson, K. (2024). CFO Endeavour wings Peer mentor initiative at HMP Holme House. HMPPS. https://www.shu.ac.uk/helena-kennedy-centre-international-justice/research-and-projects/all-projects/prison-study-series

Albertson, K. (2024). CFO Community Living Units Ambassador initiative at HMP High Down. HM Prison & Probation Service. https://www.shu.ac.uk/helena-kennedy-centre-international-justice/research-and-projects/all-projects/prison-study-series

Albertson, K. (2024). HMPPS CFO Commissioning guidance Peer mentor & peer involvement roles in prison. HMPPS. https://www.shu.ac.uk/helena-kennedy-centre-international-justice/research-and-projects/all-projects/prison-study-series

Albertson, K. (2024). CFO Hamlet Peer mentor initiative at HMP Drake Hall.

Albertson, K. (2021). Probation Insights: Social capital building supporting the desistance process. HM Inspectorate of Probation. https://www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmiprobation/research/academic-insights/

Phillips, J., Albertson, K., Fowler, A., & Collinson, B. (2020). The role of community hubs in helping to deliver probation services and support desistance. Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Probation. https://www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmiprobation/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2020/03/GS-Community-hubs-RAB-Mar-20-final.pdf

Albertson, K., Albertson, K., Stevenson, J., & Murray, E. (2019). The South Yorkshire Armed Forces Covenant model. Helen Kennedy Centre for International Justice, Sheffield Hallam University.

Albertson, K., Albertson, K., Stevenson, J., & Murray, E. (2018). The South Yorkshire Armed Forces Covenant project: Mapping the Armed Forces Community across the region. Sheffield Hallam University.

Albertson, K., Best, D., Pinkney, A., Murphy, T., Irving, J., & Stevenson, J. (2017). "It’s not just about recovery": The Right Turn Veteran-Specific Recovery Service Evaluation, Final report. Sheffield: Sheffield Hallam University. https://www.addaction.org.uk/sites/default/files/public/attachments/right_turn_evaluation_report_june_2017.pdf

Albertson, K., Best, D., Irving, J., Murphy, T., Buckingham, S., Morton, G., ... Chaggar, A. (2016). Right Turn Veteran-Specific Recovery Service: 5 site evaluation pilot : Interim report. Sheffield: Helena Kennedy Centre for International Justice, Sheffield Hallam University.

Best, D., Albertson, K., Irving, J., Lightowlers, C., Mama-Rudd, A., & Chaggar, A. (2015). The UK Life in Recovery Survey 2015 : the first national UK survey of addiction recovery experiences. Sheffield: Helena Kennedy Centre for International Justice, Sheffield Hallam University.

Wong, K., Christmann, K., Meadows, L., Albertson, K., & Senior, P. (2013). Hate crime in Suffolk : understanding prevalence and support needs. Hallam Centre for Community Justice, Sheffield Hallam University.

O'Keeffe, C., & Albertson, K. (2012). "The good days are amazing", an evaluation of the Writer's in Prison Network. Sheffield: Sheffield Hallam University.

Wong, K., O'Keeffe, C., Ellingworth, D., Wilkinson, K., Meadows, L., Davidson, J., & Bird, H. (2012). Process evaluation of Derbyshire Intensive Alternatives to Custody Pilot. Ministry of Justice. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/process-evaluation-of-integrated-offender-management-areas

Albertson, K., O'Keeffe, C., Lessing-Turner, G., Burke, C., & Renfrew, M.J. (2012). Tackling health inequalities through developing evidence-based policy and practice with childbearing women in prison: a consultation. Sheffield: Sheffield Hallam University.

Meadows, L., Albertson, K., Ellingworth, D., & Senior, P. (2012). Evaluation of the South Yorkshire Restorative Justice programme (SYRJP). Sheffield: Sheffield Hallam University.

Wong, K., O'Keeffe, C., Meadows, L., Davidson, J., Bird, H., Wilkinson, K., & Senior, P. (2011). Increasing the voluntary and community sector’s involvement in Integrated Offender Management(IOM). Home Office. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/increasing-the-voluntary-and-community-sectors-involvement-in-integrated-offender-management

Wilkinson, K., & Davidson, J. (2010). An Evaluation of the Prison Radio Association’s ActivityFinal Report Year 3: The way forward. Sheffield Hallam University: Sheffield Hallam University.

Meadows, L., Clamp, K., Culshaw, A., Cadet, N., Wilkinson, K., & Davidson, J. (2010). Evaluation of Sheffield City Council's Community Justice Panels Project. Sheffield: Sheffield Hallam University.

Meadows, L., Feasey, S., Bird, H., Davidson, J., & Wilkinson, K. (2010). Investigating the prisoner finance gap across four prisons in the North East. Department for Work and Pensions.

Wilkinson, K., & Davidson, J. (2009). Ideas project evaluation, formerly known as Inside Innovation, year three. Sheffield: Sheffield Hallam University.

Wilkinson, K., & Davidson, J. (2009). Evaluation of the content and delivery of the student workbook for RIPH Level 2 award in understanding health improvement for health trainer champions in prisons and the wider community. Sheffield: Sheffield Hallam University.

Wilkinson, K., & Davidson, J. (2008). An Evaluation of the Prison Radio Association’s ActivityFinal Report Year 1 The West Midlands Prison Radio Taster Project. Sheffield Hallam University: Sheffield Hallam University.

Wilkinson, K., Ball, L., & Brookes, E. (2008). An evaluation of the workbook for health trainers in prisons and the wider community: based on the Royal Institute of Public Health Level 2 award: understanding health improvement. Sheffield: Sheffield Hallam University.

Wilkinson, K., & Davidson, J. (2008). They've been my lifeline. An evaluation of South Yorkshire's Specialist Domestic Violence Court initiative: the Independent Domestic Violence Advocacy Service. Sheffield: Sheffield Hallam University. http://www.shu.ac.uk/research/hccj/publications_reports.html

Wilkinson, K., & Davidson, J. (2007). Inside innovation. Year 2. An evaluation of the second year of delivery of a project promoting innovative thinking amongst Prison Service staff. Sheffield: Sheffield Hallam University.

O'Keeffe, C., Wilkinson, K., Robinson, A., & Senior, P. (2006). "I Ain't No Tea Lady": Identifying and addressing barriers to non-traditional employment, training and education from a female perspective, SOVA. Sheffield: Sheffield Hallam University.

Theses / Dissertations

Tatton, S.E. (2023). Coercive and controlling behaviour:Dominant discourse, police response and the victim-survivor experience. (Doctoral thesis). Supervised by Albertson, K., Paterson, C., & Black, A. http://doi.org/10.7190/shu-thesis-00577

Smith, P. (2023). Public Engagement and the University through the Lens of the Law School. (Doctoral thesis). Supervised by Marson, J., & Albertson, K. http://doi.org/10.7190/shu-thesis-00550

Artefacts

Albertson, K. (2017). Guidance to working with the Armed Forces Community (including veterans) for Addaction staff. [One page staff guidance].

Albertson, K. (2015). Guidance for researchers interviewing those potentially suffering with PTSD.

Other publications

Albertson, K. (2014). The Simulation Module “Criminal Justice Realities 2012-13” Evaluation Report.

Other activities

I am Chair an international advisory board on a substantial three year qualitative research project, entitled "Understanding 'negative' transition in British ex-Service personnel", being delivered by Queens University Belfast. I am an expert advisor on the project Advisory Board overseeing a Barnardo's Health Needs Assessment of veterans in custody and their families and a Probation Institute research Advisory Group for a research project entitled: "Ex-Services Personnel- Exploring the journey to harmful behaviour". I have organised a wide range of significant regional and national events and conferences: The 'South Yorkshire regional Covenant Action Planning' symposium The 'Considering military identity in transition to civilian life' conference The 'South Yorkshire Health and Justice Conference' I represent Sheffield Hallam University on the Military Education Committee and the Sheffield Armed Forces Covenant Group.



Postgraduate supervision

I have a range of experience in post-doctoral student supervision and am a member of the supervisory team for three Doctoral student research projects: "The Social Components Model of Recovery from Addiction and Desistance from Crime: A Mixed-Methods Exploration of the role of Social Factors in Recovery from Addiction and Desistance from Crime in Supportive Group-Based Settings" "University academics and public engagement: the case of law" “How does the Role of Reasonableness Work in Criminal Trials and to what Extent are Doctrine, Procedure, and Jury Perceptions in Tension?". I am open to supervising other PhD students - please email to discuss relevant proposals.


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