'Good' police custody? Theorizing the 'is' and the 'ought'
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Sheffield
Department Name: Law
Abstract
Police custody is where an arrested person is taken whilst a decision is reached about what should be done with the case, for example whether to charge or bail them. It is therefore an important gateway to the criminal justice process, where much is at stake for suspects and staff. In recent years, there have been changes to the way that police custody areas are staffed and managed, in particular, civilianization of roles formerly done by police officers has given way to privatization through the use of public-finance initiatives (i.e. when a private security company owns and/or manages a police custody suite and the police let it from them).
Though there have been a few recent studies of police custody, including the Principal Investigator's book, 'Police Custody' (Willan, 2011), there have been few attempts to rigorously examine 'good' police custody or to map out changes to police custody arrangements on a national basis. Information about how police custody is currently delivered can be used to theorize about 'good' police custody practices and 'good' policing, and explore how police custody should be delivered in the future. Therefore the aims of the research are to:
1. Describe and appraise variations in police custody arrangements across the UK.
2. Identify the key dimensions of police custody areas in operation. They might include occupational culture(s), power, fairness, justice, emotions and relationships, cost, governance and accountability.
3. Explore how police custody arrangements such as civilianisation and privatisation impact on these key dimensions of police custody.
4. Conceptualise and theorise the dimensions of 'good' police custody and the links between them, and examine the implications for 'good' policing.
5. Develop benchmarks and a survey tool to monitor and improve police custody facilities, complementing the inspections conducted by HMIP/HMIC.
The research will be under-taken by a team of researchers over three years:
Phase 1 (months 1-6): There will be a survey of all 52 police services in the UK, asking them about the composition of their main police custody facilities in terms of police/civilian input, throughput, and management. This information will be used to describe and appraise types of police custody suites and to select four sites for Phase 2.
Phase 2 (months 7-16): In each of these four police custody suites, one month of participant observation will be followed by 52 interviews with staff and the collection of data from official records about suspect experiences and outcomes. In each site, a random sample of 20 suspects will be interviewed about their experiences of police custody. With their consent, they will also be followed up in Phase 3. In Phase 2, these data will be used to identify the key dimensions of police custody areas. They might include occupational culture(s), power, fairness, justice, emotions and relationships, cost, governance and accountability.
Phase 3 (months 17-30): Based on the data collected in Phase 2, a survey tool will be designed to test developing theories about the key dimensions of police custody and the impact of police custody arrangements on them. This will be administered to staff and suspects in 1-2 of the busiest police stations in 20 police services in the UK. Suspects identified in Phase 2 will be followed up through a combination of face-to-face interviews and an examination of police records.
Phase 4 (months 31-36): The purpose of Phase 3 is to examine the implications of all the data for conceptualising 'good' police custody. This will lead to a set of benchmarks and survey tool for police organisations to measure their performance. Information about this and other key findings will be disseminated to key police stakeholders through an end-of-project conference and workshop. A key impact of the study will be ongoing assessment and reform of police custody to complement HMIP/HMIC inspections.
Though there have been a few recent studies of police custody, including the Principal Investigator's book, 'Police Custody' (Willan, 2011), there have been few attempts to rigorously examine 'good' police custody or to map out changes to police custody arrangements on a national basis. Information about how police custody is currently delivered can be used to theorize about 'good' police custody practices and 'good' policing, and explore how police custody should be delivered in the future. Therefore the aims of the research are to:
1. Describe and appraise variations in police custody arrangements across the UK.
2. Identify the key dimensions of police custody areas in operation. They might include occupational culture(s), power, fairness, justice, emotions and relationships, cost, governance and accountability.
3. Explore how police custody arrangements such as civilianisation and privatisation impact on these key dimensions of police custody.
4. Conceptualise and theorise the dimensions of 'good' police custody and the links between them, and examine the implications for 'good' policing.
5. Develop benchmarks and a survey tool to monitor and improve police custody facilities, complementing the inspections conducted by HMIP/HMIC.
The research will be under-taken by a team of researchers over three years:
Phase 1 (months 1-6): There will be a survey of all 52 police services in the UK, asking them about the composition of their main police custody facilities in terms of police/civilian input, throughput, and management. This information will be used to describe and appraise types of police custody suites and to select four sites for Phase 2.
Phase 2 (months 7-16): In each of these four police custody suites, one month of participant observation will be followed by 52 interviews with staff and the collection of data from official records about suspect experiences and outcomes. In each site, a random sample of 20 suspects will be interviewed about their experiences of police custody. With their consent, they will also be followed up in Phase 3. In Phase 2, these data will be used to identify the key dimensions of police custody areas. They might include occupational culture(s), power, fairness, justice, emotions and relationships, cost, governance and accountability.
Phase 3 (months 17-30): Based on the data collected in Phase 2, a survey tool will be designed to test developing theories about the key dimensions of police custody and the impact of police custody arrangements on them. This will be administered to staff and suspects in 1-2 of the busiest police stations in 20 police services in the UK. Suspects identified in Phase 2 will be followed up through a combination of face-to-face interviews and an examination of police records.
Phase 4 (months 31-36): The purpose of Phase 3 is to examine the implications of all the data for conceptualising 'good' police custody. This will lead to a set of benchmarks and survey tool for police organisations to measure their performance. Information about this and other key findings will be disseminated to key police stakeholders through an end-of-project conference and workshop. A key impact of the study will be ongoing assessment and reform of police custody to complement HMIP/HMIC inspections.
Planned Impact
Beneficiaries
- The key stakeholders for the research are the 52 police services in the UK and their Elected Police and Crime Commissioners, as well as Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Prisons and Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabularies who inspect police custody facilities, as well as the private sector, including companies such as Reliance and G4S who own, manage and staff a number of police custody facilities.
- Other stakeholders include representatives from the Home Office, the Independent Police Complaints Commission, the Police Federation and the Association of Chief Police Officers, the National Policing Improvements Agency (as long as it exists), the Legal Services Commission and Research Centre, the Law Society, as well as third sector organisations such as JUSTICE, INQUIRY and the Howard League.
- The proposed research will also be of interest to academics and researchers (see the information on Je-S about academic beneficiaries). The research team will also benefit from their involvement in the project, as will their future employers and wider society. The research team will develop management, leadership, research, communication and media skills, enabling them to move forward in their careers in academia or other employment sectors.
- Finally, suspects and citizens are also stakeholders. Suspects may benefit from improvements to police custody and citizens may benefit from greater confidence in the police if they know that custody areas are 'good' and of a high standard.
Key stakeholders will be provided with a better understanding of:
- How police custody operates in practice and also how it should operate. Much research in the past has focused on police malpractice, whereas the proposed research will examine what constitutes 'good' police custody practices. Such information could be used to enhance public confidence in the police and to increase the likelihood that the public continue to cooperate and engaged with the police in the future.
- Police custody in a local and national perspective. This will enable police organisations to compare themselves with other similar police organisations and help them to understand where they might improve or where they are already good enough.
- How to monitor and improve police custody practices on an ongoing and long-term basis. The research will lead to benchmarks and a survey tool which police organisations can use to measure their performance and which will be complementary to HMIC/HMIP inspections.
- How to balance the need for cost-effective public service delivery with the need for security, fairness, justice, legitimacy and accountability, under austere financial conditions.
Communication, engagement and long-term impacts
A research advisory group is being created and will meet twice during the project (see also Appendix 1). Progress with the research and emerging findings will be disseminated to stakeholders, research participants and the wider public through bi-annual newsletters, the PI's blog and other social media, such as Twitter. As for longer-term impacts, by the end of Phase 4, knowledge about 'good' police custody practices will be used to create benchmarks. Based on these benchmarks, a survey tool will be developed which can be administered by police services to staff and suspects on an annual basis to measure the quality of police custody. Information gleaned from these surveys will provide additional information that can be drawn on by HMIP/HMIC inspectors when writing their reports. Therefore, the key impact of the study will be the extent to which police organisations adopt the benchmarks and survey tool. Hence an end-of-project conference (for stakeholders with a strategic focus) and a workshop (for operational stakeholders) will be used to promote the benchmark and survey tool.
- The key stakeholders for the research are the 52 police services in the UK and their Elected Police and Crime Commissioners, as well as Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Prisons and Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabularies who inspect police custody facilities, as well as the private sector, including companies such as Reliance and G4S who own, manage and staff a number of police custody facilities.
- Other stakeholders include representatives from the Home Office, the Independent Police Complaints Commission, the Police Federation and the Association of Chief Police Officers, the National Policing Improvements Agency (as long as it exists), the Legal Services Commission and Research Centre, the Law Society, as well as third sector organisations such as JUSTICE, INQUIRY and the Howard League.
- The proposed research will also be of interest to academics and researchers (see the information on Je-S about academic beneficiaries). The research team will also benefit from their involvement in the project, as will their future employers and wider society. The research team will develop management, leadership, research, communication and media skills, enabling them to move forward in their careers in academia or other employment sectors.
- Finally, suspects and citizens are also stakeholders. Suspects may benefit from improvements to police custody and citizens may benefit from greater confidence in the police if they know that custody areas are 'good' and of a high standard.
Key stakeholders will be provided with a better understanding of:
- How police custody operates in practice and also how it should operate. Much research in the past has focused on police malpractice, whereas the proposed research will examine what constitutes 'good' police custody practices. Such information could be used to enhance public confidence in the police and to increase the likelihood that the public continue to cooperate and engaged with the police in the future.
- Police custody in a local and national perspective. This will enable police organisations to compare themselves with other similar police organisations and help them to understand where they might improve or where they are already good enough.
- How to monitor and improve police custody practices on an ongoing and long-term basis. The research will lead to benchmarks and a survey tool which police organisations can use to measure their performance and which will be complementary to HMIC/HMIP inspections.
- How to balance the need for cost-effective public service delivery with the need for security, fairness, justice, legitimacy and accountability, under austere financial conditions.
Communication, engagement and long-term impacts
A research advisory group is being created and will meet twice during the project (see also Appendix 1). Progress with the research and emerging findings will be disseminated to stakeholders, research participants and the wider public through bi-annual newsletters, the PI's blog and other social media, such as Twitter. As for longer-term impacts, by the end of Phase 4, knowledge about 'good' police custody practices will be used to create benchmarks. Based on these benchmarks, a survey tool will be developed which can be administered by police services to staff and suspects on an annual basis to measure the quality of police custody. Information gleaned from these surveys will provide additional information that can be drawn on by HMIP/HMIC inspectors when writing their reports. Therefore, the key impact of the study will be the extent to which police organisations adopt the benchmarks and survey tool. Hence an end-of-project conference (for stakeholders with a strategic focus) and a workshop (for operational stakeholders) will be used to promote the benchmark and survey tool.
People |
ORCID iD |
| Layla Skinns (Principal Investigator) |
Publications
Green, A.
(2018)
Different ways of acting and different ways of knowing? The cultures of police-academic partnerships in a multi-site and multi-force study
in European Journal of Policing Studies
Loftus B
(2022)
The moral and emotional world of police informants
in The Police Journal: Theory, Practice and Principles
Skinns L
(2020)
Pain in police detention: a critical point in the 'penal painscape'?
in Policing and Society
Skinns L
(2017)
Police legitimacy in context: an exploration of "soft" power in police custody in England
in Policing: An International Journal
Skinns L
(2020)
"Treat them as a human being": dignity in police detention and its implications for 'good' police custody
in The British Journal of Criminology
Skinns L
(2023)
'Come on mate, let's make you a cup of tea': Theorising materiality and its impacts on detainee dignity inside police detention
in Theoretical Criminology
Skinns L
(2015)
Preliminary findings on police custody delivery in the twenty-first century: Is it 'good' enough?
in Policing and Society
Skinns L
(2021)
'My best day will be my last day!': appreciating appreciative inquiry in police research
in Policing and Society
Skinns, L.
(2017)
Police custody delivery in the twenty-first century in England and Wales: Current arrangements and their implications for patterns of policing
in European Journal of Policing Studies.
| Title | I am human |
| Description | Theatre production and then animation based on key findings from the GPCS about dignity, equality, pains of police detention. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2020 |
| Impact | It has been integrated into the Phase 5 implementation and evaluation research as an elicitation tool to encourage staff to identify areas of good practice |
| Description | Across England and Wales, upwards of 900,000 citizens are arrested and detained in police custody each year, making it an important site for everyday interactions between the public and the police. Police custody is where a suspect is taken on arrest after an allegation of law-breaking, whilst their case is investigated and a decision is reached about what to do next. It is a risky and emotionally-charged environment in which there is much at stake, for suspects and for staff. The overarching aim of the 'good' police custody study (GPCS) was to examine what is meant by 'good' police custody. In Phase 1, in order to explore contemporary patterns in the delivery of police custody, data were collected in 2014 from custody managers in 40 of the 43 police forces in England and Wales. Initial ideas about the meaning of 'good' police custody were developed, in Phase 2, through in-depth research in 2014-15, in which researchers observed and interviewed staff and detainees in four custody areas in four forces, resulting in 532 hours of observation and 97 interviews. In Phase 3 in 2016-17, preliminary ideas about the meaning of 'good' custody were tested through surveying nearly 800 staff and detainees in 27 custody suites in 13 forces. To begin with, factor analysis was used to condense responses to a number of questions into key themes or factors. Factor scores from this analysis were then analysed by means of multilevel modelling using the software MLwiN. Multilevel modelling takes account of the hierarchical structure of data, in this case, staff and detainees clustered within custody facilities, within police forces. Were this not taken into account, incorrect conclusions would be drawn. The research has shown that dignity - as equality, autonomy and public decency - should be increasingly taken into account by police custody stakeholders, alongside other priorities such as legality, safety, security and cost-effectiveness, yielding benefits through increased detainee cooperation. Dignity, decency and legality are at the heart of 'good' police custody and 'good' policing. Multi-level modelling of staff and detainee survey data showed the following: Equality as dignity arose if detainees: - perceived the general conditions more favourably; - felt like they 'had something' (e.g. reading and writing materials or personal possessions); - felt they had a degree of autonomy (though only when the conditions were poor); - sensed a culture of decency, in which humour was used appropriately (laughing with not at detainees); - trusted in police custody accountability mechanisms; - were white, although this was mediated through trust in accountability and feeling there was a culture of derision. - saw police custody as being mainly about detainees' welfare. Autonomy as dignity arose when detainees: - Did not feel that their detention was routinised and a bit like 'a factory production line'; - Did not think that getting out was more important than how they were treated,; - Did not think that 'the main reason I am here is so that the police can investigate the crime I was arrested for'; - Perceived the conditions of custody more favourably. Public decency as dignity was absent for detainees who: - Felt their treatment was not dignified (dignity as equality); - Agreed with statements about police custody being routinised; - Thought that staff employed inducement to make them comply with them; - Thought the physical conditions were poor; - Thought that all staff cared about was their 'risk factors'. Legality: Staff respondents to the survey had a strong sense of the importance of abiding by legal rules. Whilst for detainees, the dignity of their treatment (equality as dignity) was key, which was strongly correlated with detainees' overall sense of satisfaction. The emphasis placed by staff on legality can be partly explained by processes of socialisation into the job, whilst also being accentuated by a culture of risk in police custody, resulting in a retreat into doing things 'by the book'. Yet this also placed them at odds with detainee expectations with regards the prioritisation of dignity and legality. For detainees, equality as dignity had a higher priority than legality, whilst the opposite was true for staff. This research has opened up two new avenues of collaborative research: a scoping study on female detainees' experiences of dignity in police custody, which is due to report in March 2019; a proposed comparative study of the links between design, architecture and technology and staff and detainee experiences in the UK, Scotland and Norway. Aside from these collaborations, the GPCS has resulted in a dense set of police custody stakeholder networks for the PI, in part through Sheffield University thrice co-hosting the National Custody Forum, in conjunction with the National Police Chief Council Lead for police custody. |
| Exploitation Route | Over five years, the project has involved a sustained commitment to knowledge exchange and the dissemination of findings to police stakeholders, academics and the wider citizenry through: newsletters to police stakeholders; academic conferences (see details on Researchfish); presentations to police stakeholders, including police forces, HMIC/HMIP, MOJ (see details on Researchfish); public engagement events (see details on Researchfish); the use of social media, including Twitter and the PI's blog; co-hosting, in conjunction with the National Police Chief Council lead for police custody, key police custody stakeholder event, the National Custody Forum. These events replaced the end-of-project conference that was originally planned in the grant application, as they were a more effective way to disseminate findings from the research. Most recently, in November 2018, the National Custody Forum was used to consult on the good practice benchmarks, which are due to be finalised in May 2019. Through these dissemination activities and the finalisation of the good practice benchmarks, the research is also leading to changes to police custody policies. For example, the MOJ intend to place a greater emphasis on dignity in the revised 2019 Police Building Design Guide as a result of a presentation given by the PI and Andrew Wooff in October 2019. The Independent Custody Visitors Association (ICVA) intend to have detainee dignity as one of their corporate themes from 2019, which will also be incorporated into the way Independent Custody Visitors carry out their visits. This arose from the ongoing discussion between the CEO of ICVA and Layla Skinns. Police Scotland will also make dignity a cornerstone of their estates strategy in 2019, as result of discussion with Andrew Wooff in November 2018. As a result of the National Custody Forum in November 2018, there is also an opportunity for the good practice benchmarks to bring about changes to police practices. Five forces volunteered to implement the benchmarks, participate in an implementation group chaired by Layla Skinns and allow access for an evaluation study from September 2019. IAA funding was used to appoint an research assistant and the implementation/evaluation work was due to start in March 2020. Covid-19, however, meant that the research was delayed and then reduced in scale. Data was only been collected in one of the five forces that volunteered to take part in this work in November and December 2020. The data from this implementation and evaluation is presently being analysed. In the longer-term, these evaluations will provide further evidence to support the good practice benchmarks. |
| Sectors | Communities and Social Services/Policy,Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software),Healthcare,Government, Democracy and Justice,Security and Diplomacy |
| URL | https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/law/research/directory/police |
| Description | "Good" Police Custody The "good" police custody research has had substantial impact under two headings: 1. Police force knowledge and practice 2. Design of buildings and custodial settings As a result of these impacts and also impacts associated with research on the overnight detention of children funded by the Howard League, the GPCS has been selected as an impact case study for REF 2021 Transformed police force knowledge and practice In January 2017, the current National Strategy for Police Custody was published. Under its first aspirational category - legitimacy - the National Strategy draws on the language of dignity and respect taken from Skinns' research [R6], which is acknowledged in the text (S4). The strategy is a commitment to advancing the professionalism, efficiency and efficacy of the custody provision. In 2019 Skinns launched ten good practice recommendations based on her research into good practice in custody [R4]. They covered police practice, training and policies, detainee expectations and the physical environment. These were shared at several events including the National Custody Forum in November 2019. The Forum is attended by representatives from all police forces and all other relevant police stakeholders, including the College of Policing, Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabularies, Fire and Rescue and Prisons (HMICFRS, HMIP), ICVA and the Home Office. By demonstrating what 'good' looks like and the steps required to make improvements the research has impacted on the knowledge of local police forces. As a result, they are keen to work further with Skinns to embed her recommendations in practice. A pilot evaluation from Surrey police force as they implemented the recommendations has shown an improvement on detainee and staff interactions and an increased awareness of detainee dignity. Surrey Police have said they will continue to roll out the guidelines through staff training. Further large police forces Essex, North Yorkshire, South Yorkshire and the UK's largest the Metropolitan Police Service have recognised the need for further work in to prioritising detainee dignity and staff development and as a result are committed to piloting the guidelines in 2021 (this work would have happened earlier but was delayed due to COVID19) (S7). The recommendations have impacted on practice in several local police forces including Norfolk, Derbyshire and Devon and Cornwall. They have all implemented elements of Skinns recommendations. "We moved towards increased detainee dignity, and decency through the reduction in the use of rip proof clothing by enhancing observation regimes which itself led to reductions in assaults on staff, and a focus on inducing "good" behaviours, and a welfare-oriented approach" (Former Head of Custody, S6). Derbyshire's policy had been to remove all belongings when someone entered custody, but it now risk assesses whether detainees can keep personal belongings Devon and Cornwall have introduced Distraction Packs which include colouring books, puzzles, jigsaw and foam footballs. These reduce anxiety and boredom and increase the likelihood the detainee will engage with the process (S5, S6). Impact on design of Buildings and Custodial Settings The research [R6] is having a critical impact on the physical design of police custody suites in England and Wales. In September 2019, the Ministry of Justice Estates Cluster published the revised version of the Police Custody Design Guide (S8). Skinns was part of an expert reference group and ensured dignity was central to the guide. Senior Policy Advisor for the College of Policing and National Police Estate Group states: Included in the 2019 practice guidance are important overarching principles. They include designing a suite that can "accommodate detainees safely, securely and enable them to be treated with respect and dignity." This is a shift from the previous design guide which had less emphasis on dignity and more on safety and security (S8). Skinns drew on her research to author one section of the document, section 8.7 on "colour, art, painting and finishes". In addition, Skinns fed into the National Police Estates Group (NPEG, which provides peer review to police forces planning to build new custody suites or renovate old ones. The Custody Lead on the NPEG has consistently used Skinns' research in undertaking the reviews (S8), and in the design of two new custody facilities in his own home force area, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. In Hampshire they have incorporated a glazed atrium, flooding the charge room with light. The Good Police Custody Study themes (dignity, decency, equality, legality and autonomy) have been considered in creating national blueprints for custody design (S8). |
| First Year Of Impact | 2017 |
| Sector | Communities and Social Services/Policy,Government, Democracy and Justice,Security and Diplomacy |
| Impact Types | Cultural,Societal,Policy & public services |
| Description | Attended National Custody Forum events and commented on and help develop the National Custody Strategy (along with other key stakeholders) |
| Geographic Reach | Local/Municipal/Regional |
| Policy Influence Type | Contribution to a national consultation/review |
| Description | Implementation of recommendations and evaluation of this in three police forces |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
| Impact | Improved capacity of staff for affording detainees dignity. |
| Description | Influence on national police custody policy |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Contribution to a national consultation/review |
| Description | Participation in Police Custody Standards Board, Ministry of Justice (ongoing) |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Membership of a guideline committee |
| Description | Review of an evaluation of HMICFRS' impact on police custody practices through their inspection work |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Contribution to new or Improved professional practice |
| Description | 'Good' police custody: influencing policy and practice |
| Amount | £38,071 (GBP) |
| Organisation | University of Sheffield |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 10/2019 |
| End | 01/2021 |
| Description | European Research Council Development Fellowship January 2016-December 2017 £37,000 from the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Sheffield |
| Amount | £37,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | University of Sheffield |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 01/2016 |
| End | 01/2017 |
| Description | Faculty of Social Sciences Festival of Social Science event funding |
| Amount | £900 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Economic and Social Research Council |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 07/2018 |
| End | 12/2018 |
| Description | Impact Acceleration |
| Amount | £24,168 (GBP) |
| Organisation | University of Sheffield |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 02/2018 |
| End | 07/2019 |
| Description | Innovation and the application of knowledge for more effective policing (co-investigator) |
| Amount | £2,999,822 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Higher Education Funding Council for England |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 05/2015 |
| End | 04/2020 |
| Description | Women Academic Returners Programme |
| Amount | £10,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | University of Sheffield |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 07/2016 |
| End | 10/2016 |
| Title | Custody record data |
| Description | Quantitative data extracted from custody records in three suites in three forces. |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Provided To Others? | No |
| Impact | None as yet. |
| Title | Ethnographic data in four custody suites |
| Description | 500 hours of observational data and approximately 100 interviews with staff an detainees in four custody suites examines key dimensions of 'good' police custody |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Provided To Others? | No |
| Impact | None as yet. |
| Title | Phase 3 survey data |
| Description | We have collected survey data from nearly 800 staff and detainees in 27 custody suites in 13 forces in 2016 and 2017. |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Provided To Others? | No |
| Impact | None as yet. |
| Title | Phase 5 implementation and evaluation survey, observation and interview data |
| Description | In Phase 5 we used a quasi-experimental approach to examine the impacts of implementing good practice recommendations from the GPCS in three police force areas. We surveyed staff/detainees, as well as observing and interviewing them. |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Year Produced | 2021 |
| Provided To Others? | No |
| Impact | Built capacity of custody staff to afford detainees dignity |
| Title | Quantitative data on police custody delivery in 2014 |
| Description | It contains data collected through a survey of 40 of 43 police forces in England and Wales |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Provided To Others? | No |
| Impact | Some of the data has been shared with the National Lead for police custody |
| Description | Collaboration with academic colleagues and the police on informing suspects |
| Organisation | University of Nottingham |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | The team and I would like to set up a partnership or possibly even a community interest group with colleagues working on police custody research and police custody stakeholders. It would develop digital evidence-based information for detainees in police custody which could be delivered by tablet or through in-cell technology. This information might cover rights and entitlements, expectations about treatment, how to make a complaint. The information could be made accessible to different groups e.g. children and young people or adults. More information results in more autonomous decision making. This digital information would be more accessible than the current PACE Codes of Practice, which noone reads as it is too inaccessible. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Academic colleagues would provide expert advice to ensure that information provided was evidence-based. Police stakeholders would provide access to custody suites to trial this information giving. |
| Impact | None yet. It is at an early stage of development. |
| Start Year | 2022 |
| Description | Gendering police custody: A critical examination of women's lived experiences when arrested and detained by the police in England and Wales |
| Organisation | Cardiff University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | This was a scoping study conducted in 2018 in which contributions were shared equally between partners with regards the design of the research, ethics application, data sharing, data collation and data analysis. ICVA has played more of a role with data collection and the management of this scoping study, as ICVs are collecting data on behalf of the academic team. HOwever, it has since grown into a ESRC grant application, which will be submitted in 2021, in which Layla Skinns is the PI, so her role has grown. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The contributions were shared equally between partners with regards the design of the research, ethics application, data sharing, data collation and data analysis. ICVA also played more of a role with data collection and the management of this process, as ICVs are collecting data on behalf of the academic team. Partner collaborations have reduced as Layla Skinns' role has grown to PI. |
| Impact | None yet |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | Gendering police custody: A critical examination of women's lived experiences when arrested and detained by the police in England and Wales |
| Organisation | Independent Custody Visiting Association |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | This was a scoping study conducted in 2018 in which contributions were shared equally between partners with regards the design of the research, ethics application, data sharing, data collation and data analysis. ICVA has played more of a role with data collection and the management of this scoping study, as ICVs are collecting data on behalf of the academic team. HOwever, it has since grown into a ESRC grant application, which will be submitted in 2021, in which Layla Skinns is the PI, so her role has grown. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The contributions were shared equally between partners with regards the design of the research, ethics application, data sharing, data collation and data analysis. ICVA also played more of a role with data collection and the management of this process, as ICVs are collecting data on behalf of the academic team. Partner collaborations have reduced as Layla Skinns' role has grown to PI. |
| Impact | None yet |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | Gendering police custody: A critical examination of women's lived experiences when arrested and detained by the police in England and Wales |
| Organisation | University of Warwick |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | This was a scoping study conducted in 2018 in which contributions were shared equally between partners with regards the design of the research, ethics application, data sharing, data collation and data analysis. ICVA has played more of a role with data collection and the management of this scoping study, as ICVs are collecting data on behalf of the academic team. HOwever, it has since grown into a ESRC grant application, which will be submitted in 2021, in which Layla Skinns is the PI, so her role has grown. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The contributions were shared equally between partners with regards the design of the research, ethics application, data sharing, data collation and data analysis. ICVA also played more of a role with data collection and the management of this process, as ICVs are collecting data on behalf of the academic team. Partner collaborations have reduced as Layla Skinns' role has grown to PI. |
| Impact | None yet |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | Research collaboration examining the impact of design, architecture and technology on staff and detainee experiences |
| Organisation | Edinburgh Napier University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Andrew Wooff is leading a research grant application on this, with me playing a support role in the bid-writing process. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Andrew Wooff is leading a research grant application on this, with me playing a support role in the bid-writing process. |
| Impact | None yet |
| Start Year | 2017 |
| Description | 'Seeing the light': designing in dignity inside police detention (with Andrew Wooff and Angela Sorsby) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Invited talk for the MOJ to the board revising the Police Buildings Design Guide. The chair of board said he would incorporate a bigger emphasis in dignity in the revised guide. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | 'Seeing the light': findings from the 'good' police custody study on why conditions matter (with Angela Sorsby) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Presentation as part of the Festival of Social Science at the University of Sheffield |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | - Dr Layla Skinns was invited to participate in the HMIP/HMIC Custody Stakeholder Group, which is an expert reference group set up to review HMIC/HMIP expectations, March 2014 - December 2015. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | This working group involved regular attendance at meetings, conversations with inspection team leaders and the reviewing expectation criteria. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| Description | - Sprawson, A., Rice, L. and Skinns, L. 'Preliminary findings on risk and safeguarding' to Mill City Police on 27 October 2015. This topic was requested by Mill City and the talk will be attended by a range of senior management and operational staff. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | This presentation was requested by Mill City and the talk will be attended by a range of senior management and operational staff. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| Description | A workforce for the 'good'? Civilianization, privatization and its implications for 'good' police custody (with Lindsey Rice) Workforce for the Future hosted by Leeds University, funded by the N8 PRP |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Myself and Lindsey Rice gave a talk at a practitioner-focused event. It led to some good questions and requests for further information. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| Description | Amy Sprawson attended a one-day event on 'What if police bail were abolished?' It was organised by the Howard League for Penal Reform as part of their 'what if' series, London, 15 January 2015. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Attended this event. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| Description | Amy Sprawson attended a symposium on the 'Handover of risk in police custody', Bedfordshire Police HQ, 11 September 2015. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Attended this event |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| Description | Amy Sprawson attended the 'Police custody suites stakeholder workshop' organised by the Care Quality Commission, London, 29 October 2015. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Attended this event |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| Description | Amy Sprawson, Andrew Wooff and Layla Skinns, 'Preliminary findings on communication and legitimacy in police custody' presented to Combiville Police, 28 January 2015. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | This talk was attended by the Chief Superintendent (responsible for police custody), two Chief Inspector (custody managers), two Inspectors, two Custody Sergeants and a civilian detention officer. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| Description | Andrew Wooff and Amy Sprawson attended a workshop on 'Police custody design' organised by the Home Office, Tally Ho, Birmingham, 15 May 2014 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Attended this event |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| Description | Andrew Wooff attended the launch of an inquiry by the Equality and Human Rights Commission on 'Preventing deaths in detention of adults with mental health conditions', House of Commons, London, 24 February 2015. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Attended this event. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| Description | Andrew Wooff, Layla Skinns and Amy Sprawson 'Police outsourcing in custody: preliminary findings from the 'good' police custody study', Markets in policing, ESRC-funded research seminar series, University of York, 9 June 2015. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Presentation at an ESRC-funded seminar series event on 'Markets in policing' attended by academics and police stakeholders |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| Description | Andrew Wooff, Layla Skinns and Amy Sprawson 'The 'good' police custody study: theorizing the 'is' and the 'ought' poster presentation at the Evidence-Based Policing Research Showcase, College of Policing, 13 May 2015. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Poster presentation at event organised by the College of Policing to showcase research on the police |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| Description | Conference talk |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | The contours of police custody: Comparing Ireland and England and Wales, Police Custody in Ireland, Dublin City University, Dublin, 29-30 September 2022. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Conference talk |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Deaths in police custody: The current state of knowledge, Dying in Custody Conference, University of Bath, 15-16 June 2022. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Creating and maintaining the conditions for knowledge exchange and impact, |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Knowledge Exchange and Impact Training, School of Law, University of Sheffield, 23 September 2021. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Dr Layla Skinns was invited to participate in the expert reference group for an HMIP/HMIC thematic inspection on 'vulnerable people in police custody', June 2014-April 2015. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | This working group involved regularly attending meetings and reviewing relevant documents such as about how the inspection was to be conducted and drafts of reports prior to publication. I also spoke on the telephone on two occasions with the lead inspector, Heather Hursford, who sought my advice on a number of matters, some of which was heeded. My publications are also cited in the final report. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014,2015 |
| Description | Early findings from the 'good' police custody study Phase 3 survey |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Talk given at the National Custody Forum, Warwick |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | Expert member of Police Custody Standards Board, Ministry of Justice |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Ongoing member of this Police Custody Standards Board, Ministry of Justice, which is reviewing national standards relating to police custody design |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | Good practice benchmarks: consultation and next steps (with Angela Sorsby) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Invited talk at the National Custody Forum, co-hosted by the University of Sheffield and NPCC |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | Good practice benchmarks: update and overview of the final version |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Update on findings/recommendations to the National Custody Forum |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | I am Human |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Play based on my research as part of the Festival of Social Sciences |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Key findings and recommendations from the 'good' police custody study |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Presentation to Home Office Strategic Custody Meeting |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Key findings and recommendations from the 'good' police custody study, |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Greater Manchester Independent Police Ethics Committee, 16 December 2021 (online) |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Layla Skinns attended the National Custody Conference organised by the National Lead for Police Custody, Lancashire Constabulary, 26-27 March 2014. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Attended this event |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| Description | Making a difference to detainees |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Third sector organisations |
| Results and Impact | I gave an invited talk to a group of regional Independent Custody Visitors at Gonville and Caius College, with my slides being circulated after the event. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | Making a difference to detainees: predictors of detainee perceptions of the quality of treatment (with Angela Sorsby) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Invited talk for HMICFRS, who inspect police custody facilities |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | Making a difference to detainees: predictors of detainee perceptions of the quality of treatment (with Angela Sorsby) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Invited talk at the National Custody Forum which was co-hosted by the University of Sheffield |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | Making good: key lessons for practice from the good police custody study, |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Launch of good practice recommendations at New Scotland Yard |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Making good: key lessons from the good police custody study, |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Third sector organisations |
| Results and Impact | Talk to the National Appropriate Adults Network and appropriate adults |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Meeting with MOJ about custody design |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | I met with the Head of Estates team at the MOJ to discuss findings from the research. We are to meet again in a few months time. He has also invited me to sit on an expert reference group which will review the design standards of police custody suites. I will also be providing some further data analysis for him of relevant data. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | Meeting with the IPCC |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | I had a meeting with representatives from senior players in the IPCC about aspects of my research that interested them as they are trying to build an evidence-based case to change the PACE Codes of Practice. This had led to an ongoing link with them and I have offered to provide further analysis, based on the Phase 3 data. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | National Custody Forum |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Study participants or study members |
| Results and Impact | I gave a presentation on 'soft' power at the National Custody Forum, which is led by the national lead for police custody, Chief Constable, Nick Ephgrave. Representatives from all the main stakeholder organisations for my research were present were meeting including the IPCC, Home Office, HMIC, HMIP, The College of Policing, local and regional force representatives. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| Description | Phase 3 of the 'good' police custody study: findings update |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Talk at the National Custody Forum, hosted by Sheffield University |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | Police custody and the vulnerable |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Talks at the N8 PRP Innovation Forum |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Putting recommendations into practice in one police force area: Phase 5 of the 'good' police custody study |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Presentation of Phase 5 Report findings |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Skinns, L. and Sprawson, A. 'Preliminary findings on 'good' police custody'16 July 2014 Meeting of the National Custody Forum affiliated with the Police Federation's Sergeants' Central Committee, Harrogate. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Presented to representatives of the Police Federation's National Custody Forum who represented nearly all police forces in England and Wales. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| Description | Skinns, L. and Sprawson, A. 'The 'good' police custody study: early findings' 23-24 September 2014 National Custody Seminar organised by the Police Federation's Sergeants' Central Committee, Stoke-on-Tren |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Presented findings to custody sergeants from across the country. There were 200-300 delegates at this event. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| Description | The 'pains of police detention': towards an understanding of the pains of confinement |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Talk in the CCJ at Warwick University |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | The art of innovation? Effecting change in police custody through theatre and animation, in a panel on The Art of Criminal Justice, 10 November 2021, |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Talk was part of a series of panels on Sights, Sounds and Art: New Directions in Criminal Justice Research, Centre for Criminological Research, University of Sheffield (online) |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | The pains of police detention |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Talk given a HMIP training day, with some young people and their advocates present |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | What is police custody for? |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | in a panel on police custody, London Policing Seminars, hosted by UCL and Canterbury Christchurch University, 19 May 2022 (online) |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |