Dr Emma Palmer

I hold a BA (Hons) in Social & Political Science from Cambridge University and a PhD in Forensic Psychology from Birmingham University. I subsequently gained a PG Diploma in Psychology from the Open University. After my PhD I spent 18 months as a postdoctoral researcher at Leicester University on a project looking at criminogenic needs among prisoners before taking up a lectureship here at Leicester. During my time at Leicester I have worked in a number of departments including Psychology; Psychiatry; Health Sciences; and Neuroscience Psychology & Behaviour. I am a BPS chartered forensic psychologist and am registered as a forensic psychologist with the HCPC.

My research examines the development of antisocial behaviour and offending; health well-being and disease in prisons; and interventions to reduce offending. Funders of my research include the NIHR, Ministry of Justice, HM Prison & Probation Service, the Home Office, Health Foundation and the Sentencing Council.

I am currently PI on an NIHR-funded evaluation of the RECONNECT care-after-custody service which aims to help prison-leavers access and engage in community healthcare after their release from prison.

Other recently completed research includes:

• MoJ funded process evaluation of the Drug Recovery Prison at HMP Holme House which took a whole-prison approach to reducing drug use in the prison.

• MoJ funded evaluation of digital technology in prisons exploring the impact on prisoners and staff of in-cell phones self-service kiosks for prisoners and in-cell laptops.

• Sentencing Council funded research examining the impact of new sentencing guidelines for robbery and sexual offences. This used sentencing data to quantitatively examine whether the introduction of new sentencing guidelines were being implemented appropriately in terms of the factors contributing to sentencing decisions.

• Scottish Prison Service funded physical health needs assessment in Scottish prisons.

I am the co-lead of the Prisons Research Network at Leicester.

Full list of research funding:

• NIHR: [2023-2024; £446,000] with R. Hatcher, M. Tonkin & C. Tarrant. Evaluation of RECONNECT service (PI)

• Scottish Government: [2021-2022; £73k) with R. Hatcher, M. Tonkin & C. Blackmore. Physical health needs assessment in Scottish Prison Service.

• Ministry of Justice: [2018-2019; £120k] with R. Hatcher & M. Tonkin. Digital prisons (PI)

• Ministry of Justice: [2018-2020; £100k] with T. Ayres & R. Hatcher. Process evaluation of the Drug Recovery Prison at HMP Holme House.

• Home Office: [2017; £30,000] with M. O’Reilly, J. Maltby and R. Dover. Review/evaluate Prevent Innovation fund projects (PI)

• Sentencing Council, Ministry of Justice: [2016-2017; £94,786] with A. Carline, S. Kyd and M. Burton. Evaluation of new Sentencing Council guidelines for robbery and sex offences.

• Health Foundation: [2015-2016; £94,629] with J. Maltby, C. Jones, M. O’Reilly, R. Hatcher and H. Flowe. Public sector failure: Lessons for healthcare policy makers.

• Ministry of Justice: [2010-2012; £88,108] with C. Hedderman, C. Hollin and D. Jolliffe. Outcome evaluation of the Together Women project.

• Ministry of Justice: [2008-2009; £98,625] with C. Hedderman, C. Hollin and D. Jolliffe. Outcome evaluation feasibility study for the Together Women project.

• Home Office, Research Development & Statistics Directorate: [2007; £97,834] with C. Hedderman and C. Hollin (University of Leicester), and L. Gelsthorpe (University of Cambridge). Action research evaluation of the Together Women Programme.

• Nottinghamshire County Council: [2007; £6,000]. Alcohol and drug use amongst older prisoners.

• Northern Ireland Office: [2005-2006; £82,443] with R. Hatcher, C. Hollin, and C. Bilby, University of Leicester and J. McGuire, University of Liverpool. Evaluation of prison and community programmes for offenders.

• Home Office, Research Development & Statistics Directorate: [2004; £38,893] with C. Hollin. Provision of effective regimes (PI)

• Home Office, Women’s Prison Estate: [2003-2004; £5,000] with C. Hollin. Review of the special needs of women substance-using offenders.

• Home Office, Prison Service: [2003-2004; £8,800] with C. Hollin. Review of implementation factors affecting the impact of programmes designed to reduce recidivism rates in criminal offenders.

• Office of the Deputy Prime Minister: [2003-2004; £35,508] with C. Hollin. Survey and evaluation of interventions with arsonists and young firesetters.

• Home Office, Prison Service: [2003; £12,350] with C. Hollin. Review of programmes for short term prisoners.

• Home Office, Womens’ Policy Unit: [2002-2003; £16,800] with C. Hollin. Criminogenic factors among women offenders (PI).

• National Probation Directorate/County Durham Probation Area: [2002; £2500] Theory manual for probation programme aimed at resettlement of women offenders.

• County Durham Probation Service: [2001; £3000]. The impact of the Community Service project on the public’s fear of crime.

• Home Office, Research Development & Statistics Directorate: [2000-2005; £628,649] with C. Hollin, University of Leicester and J. McGuire, University of Liverpool. Evaluation of the Crime Reduction Programme: Offending Behaviour Pathfinder Programmes in Probation Service.

• Leicestershire and Rutland Probation Service: [2000; £5,600] with C. Hollin. Analyse and report on data gathered on local burglary survey.

• Home Office, Research Development & Statistics Directorate: [1999-2000; £4,500] with C. Hollin. Probation work to reduce offending by Black and Asian offenders.

• Home Office, Research Development & Statistics Directorate: [1999-2000; £31,964] with C. Hollin. Literature review and survey of probation work with racially motivated offenders.

• Home Office, Prison Service: [1998-1999; £10,600] with C. Hollin. Development of a measure of young offender prison regime effectiveness.

• Home Office, HMP Durham/Durham Probation Service: [1998; £4,000] with C. Hollin. An audit of groupwork provision.

Day A. Phelps K. Maltby J. Palmer E. J. Snell K. Raine D. & Conroy S. (in press). A realist evaluation of loneliness interventions for older people. Age and Ageing.

Maltby J. Hunt S. A. Ohinata A. Palmer E. J. & Conroy S. (in press). Social isolation and frailty: The importance of social isolation from a wider social network. Journal of Aging and Health.

Palmer E. J. (2019). Group programmes with offenders. In P. Ugwudike H. Graham F. McNeill P. Rayner F. Taxman & C. Trotter (Eds.) The Routledge companion to rehabilitative work in criminal justice. London: Routledge.

Maltby J. Day L. Hatcher R. Tazzyman S. Flowe H. D. Palmer E. J. Frosch C. A. O’Reilly M. Jones C. Buckley C. Knieps M. & Cutts K. (2016). Implicit theories of online trolling: Evidence that attention-seeking conceptions are associated with increased psychological resilience. British Journal of Psychology, 107, 448-466.

Palmer E. J. & Humphries L. M (2016). Differences between completers and non-completers of offending behavior programs: Impulsivity social problem solving and criminal thinking. Legal and Criminological Psychology, 21, 407-416.

Palmer E. J. Hatcher R. M. McGuire J. & Hollin C. R. (2015). Cognitive skills programs for female offenders in the community: Effect on reconviction. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 42, 345-360.

Langdon P. E. Murphy G. H. Clare I. C. H. Palmer E. J. & Rees J. (2013). An evaluation of the EQUIP treatment programme with men who have intellectual and developmental disabilities. American Journal on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, 26, 167-180.

Palmer E. J. Hatcher R. M. McGuire J. Bilby C. A. L. & Hollin C. R. (2012). The effect on reconviction of an intervention for drink-driving offenders in the community. International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 56, 525-538.

Hatcher R. M. McGuire J. Bilby C. A. L. Palmer E. J. & Hollin C. R. (2012). Methodological considerations in the evaluation of offender interventions: The problem of attrition. International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 56, 447-464.

Palmer E. J. McGuire J. Hatcher R. M. Hounsome J. C. Bilby C. A. L. & Hollin C. R. (2009). Allocation to offending behaviour programmes in the English and Welsh Probation Service. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 36, 909-922.

I currently supervise 4 PhD students as 1st supervisor.

I am happy to discuss ideas with potential PhD students in the area of antisocial behaviour aggression and offending; health and wellbeing in prisons; and forensic psychology in general.

I teach in the area of forensic psychology and quantitative research methods as well as supervising dissertations. This includes a 2nd module on areas of professional psychology, a 3rd year module on forensic psychology and a 3rd year advanced applied psychology module. I am a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

Membership of external organisations:

• Member of the Correctional Services Advisory & Accreditation Panel (England & Wales)

• Member of the Ministry of Justice Evidence and Partnerships Hub Academic Network

• Member of the Scottish Accreditation Panel for Offender Programmes (2008 - 2011)

• Member of the Research Advisory Group for the Scottish government Risk Management Authority (2008 - 2013)

Professional memberships:

• Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society

• BPS Chartered Forensic Psychologist

• Health & Care Professions Council registered forensic psychologist