Principal Investigator
Dr Maria Adams
Senior Lecturer in Criminology
Biography
Maria Adams is a Senior lecturer in Criminology. She has conducted extensive research into prison, justice system and family life. Much of her research has focused on issues related to prison, social inequalities and social injustices. Maria is very excited about leading on this project- this is such an important topic for women incarcerated and will have a strong contribution to improving policy and practice surrounding food and prison.
Co-investigators
Dr Vicki Harman
Reader in Sociology
Biography
Vicki Harman is a Reader in Sociology in the Department of Sociology, University of Surrey. She has conducted extensive research into food practices and food consumption, particularly within family life. Much of her research has focused on social identities and social inequalities such as gender, social class and ethnicity, and how these intersect to shape food practices. In addition to this, she has recently been part of a project which ran art workshops in women’s refuges. Vicki is looking forward to the creative and visual strand of the ‘Doing Porridge’ project. She is particularly excited about the art workshops and working with Koestler Trust to facilitate an art exhibition on taste, food and eating in prisons.
Professor Jon Garland
Professor of Criminology
Biography
Jon Garland is Professor of Criminology in the Department of Sociology, University of Surrey. He has conducted extensive research into hate crime, far-right groups, racism in rural and isolated areas of England, policing, and racism, anti-racism and disorder in football. Jon is very excited about the Doing Porridge project, and feels it can make a meaningful and long-lasting contribution to improving the lives of incarcerated women.
Professor Dan McCarthy
Professor of Criminology
Biography
Dan McCarthy has research interests across areas of prisons and punishment, including more recent work on cross-national understandings of punishment with respect to the death penalty. He is especially interested in the impact which imprisonment has on prisoners, and groups outside including family members and neighbourhoods. Food is such a fundamental part of society and public health at large, even more so for some of our most vulnerable in society – women in prison being one such group. I am excited about learning more about the experiences which women have with food in the prison context.
Research Fellows
Dr Claire Warrington
Biography
Claire Warrington has previously been a prison mental health worker and a programme facilitator in the probation service. Her research has included exploring access to healthcare for people moving through the criminal justice system and experiences of people detained by the police under the Mental Health Act. Claire’s PhD used participatory methods to explore the lived experience of women who were repeatedly detained by the police as suicide prevention. She is delighted to be joining University of Surrey as part of such an exciting study mixing so many areas that she is passionate about.
Dr Erin Power
Biography
Erin Power has recently completed a PhD entitled Performing Neoliberalism: Stories of care, conformity and resistance within contemporary prison theatre. Prior to commencing her PhD she completed a MA in Applied Theatre and Criminal Justice at the Central School of Speech and Drama and has worked as a freelance arts facilitator in prisons, as well as holding roles delivering relationship based groupwork programmes for the prison advice and care trust (Pact). During her time at Pact she worked extensively in women’s prisons and is excited to be merging her interests in gender in prison and arts based methods on this project.
Placement Students 2021/2022
Maddy Hunt
Biography
Maddy Hunt is currently completing her placement year as part of her Criminology and Sociology undergraduate degree at the University of Surrey. Her previous studies include research surrounding gender, prisons and varying social issues. After her degree she hopes to contribute to research which encompasses social issues and prisons, specifically aiming to see positive change in female prisons
Anais Bramall
Biography
Anais Bramall has just completed a three-year degree in Sociology and Criminology and is now about to undertake an MA in Criminology. She has a particular interest in researching the inequalities people experience within prison, particularly women. This is where she aims to develop her knowledge by undertaking research for blog posts, updating research through social media portals and helping to organise art exhibitions displaying the women in prison’s work. This is a particularly exciting role as Anais wishes to work within prison rehabilitation in the future after her studies
Placement Students 2021/2022
Sophie Pavitt
Biography
Sophie Pavitt is currently undertaking her placement year at the University of Surrey where she is completing her degree in Sociology. Sophie is extremely excited to be joining the study as she hopes to use this incredible experience in her future career prospect of becoming a secondary school teacher where she hopes to teach Sociology. By being involved in this study, she hopes to use her first-hand experience in the field to further her understanding of the society we live in and use this expertise to educate the next generation of sociologists.
Isabel Beaumont
Biography
Isabel Beaumont is currently completing a placement year as part of her BSc in Criminology at the University of Surrey. After her degree she hopes to pursue a career in the probation sector. Having enjoyed learning about different research methods on her course she is looking forward to seeing how these are used in practice. She is interested in the role of nutrition in wellbeing and is excited to combine this with her degree and develop her understanding of both areas on this project.
Amelia Hoy
Biography
Amelia Hoy is commencing her placement year in her Criminology and Sociology undergraduate degree at the University of Surrey. Her previous studies have included research surrounding prisons and prisoners, social issues and gender. Her use of research methods will aid the researching of sociological literature and conducting qualitative methods of interviews and observations within the prisons, to which she will publish relevant findings and updates to our various social media sites and blog to inform others about our research. After understanding the hardship and poor treatment women experience while incarcerated, she is eager to contribute to an area of sociology which is heavily under researched, to improve and facilitate change in women’s prisons.
Art Teacher
Erika Flowers
Biography
Erika Flowers is an Artist and educator delivering workshops within prisons and the Criminal Justice Sector. Having had first-hand experience of the prison system, she knows the importance that art and food have to women experiencing incarceration and is delighted to share in this opportunity to work with women across the female establishment in these exciting workshops to explore and bring together the two subjects in a creative project.
Erika’s work can be found at www.recorded in art.com, she is a member of the NCJAA Steering Group and Prisoners’ Education Trust Alumni Steering Group. She is passionate about the power of creative activity and skills practice for mental health, creative thinking and empowerment.
Doing Porridge 