World Prison Brief data cited at European criminology conference
Statistics from Institute for Criminal Policy Research spark discussion among top criminology thinkers
World imprisonment data gathered by a Birkbeck research institute were central to a plenary presentation delivered today at a high profile European criminology conference.
Data from the World Prison Brief (WPB) – a global prison population database produced by Birkbeck’s Institute for Criminal Policy Research (ICPR) – was cited in the opening plenary of the 16th Annual Conference of the European Society of Criminology (ESC).
The presentation, delivered by the ESC’s president Professor Frieder Dünkel, was titled ‘European Penology – the rise and fall of prison population rates and crime policy in times of refugees and terrorism’.
Drawing on data from the 2016 WPB, Professor Dünkel presented his research on the historical and contemporary landscapes of imprisonment across Europe. He has considered the factors underlying change in prison population rates in recent years, and the implications of current and future developments – including the possibility that the refugee problem might lead to a new wave of incarceration. Professor Dünkel’s presentation, and the WPB data relied on in his research, are detailed in an article published recently in the ESC’s newsletter.
His presentation will stimulate discussion throughout the three-day conference held in Münster, Germany, which is attended by academics, policy makers and practitioners in the field of criminology.
The World Prison Brief is a data-base which provides information about prison systems throughout the world. It is thus a vital evidence base that informs debate and policy development worldwide. It forms part of ICPR's new World Prison Research Programme, which undertakes comparative, policy orientated research on prisons and the use of imprisonment.
Referring to Professor Dünkel’s use of the WBP data, Catherine Heard, director of the ICPR programme, said: ‘We are delighted that our world prisons data and trend analysis continue to inspire cutting edge research of the kind exemplified by Professor Dünkel’s latest work. In an age of severe overcrowding and out-of-control expansion in the use of imprisonment, accurate data underpinning research is vital.
“In the year ahead, we will work with academics and reform advocates globally to ensure maximum use is made of World Prison Brief data. This will produce a clearer picture of the factors driving changes in prison populations in different regions – factors which, as Professor Dünkel’s piece demonstrates, are complex and require careful analysis.’
Themes relating to global prison populations will be further explored next month at the one-day event hosted by ICPR and the Birkbeck Institute for Social Research (BISR). ‘Risk and Vulnerability in Prison Populations: a Global Crisis’, which runs on October 21, will address the social, legal, ethical and political questions arising from how prisons treat their most vulnerable and high risk prisoners.
Find out more
- The Rise and Fall of Prison Population Rates in Europe – read the article
- The 16th Annual Conference of the European Society of Criminology
- Institute for Criminal Policy Research
- The European Society of Criminology
- Risk and Vulnerability in Prison Populations: a Global Crisis – book a place at the event