'Making a difference to detainees: interpersonal relationships, treatment and the use of authority in police custody suites in England' - Layla Skinns

Dr Layla Skinns, Reader in Criminology from the University of Sheffield, presents research findings on what makes a difference to detainees in police custody, in terms of interpersonal relationships, treatment and the use of authority by staff.

Drawing on 532 hours of observation and 97 interviews (47 with staff and 50 with detainees) in four police custody suites in England which were part of a broader study of ‘good’ police custody, the seminar focuses on three key areas of power and suspect compliance: ‘soft’ power, inducement, as well as more overt forms of coercion involving the use of force. The talk concludes by providing some preliminary ideas about the implications of these findings for ‘good’ police custody practices.

Dr Layla Skinns is a Reader in Criminology at the Centre for Criminological Research, School of Law, at the University of Sheffield. She previously worked as a Teaching Associate at the Institute of Criminology, University of Cambridge where she also completed her MPhil and PhD, as well as at the Institute for Criminal Policy Research, King’s College London. Her main research interests are police authority, police discretion and police governance, especially in the context of the police custody process in England and Wales, and in other common-law jurisdictions. For further details visit: https://www.shef.ac.uk/law/staff/lskinns. She is currently the principal investigator on a major, four-year, national study of ‘good’ police custody funded by the Economic and Social Research Council. For further details about the research visit: http://www.shef.ac.uk/law/research/projects/police.

For more information about the college visit: https://www.cai.cam.ac.uk/visiting-caius.  Parking is available at either the Grand Arcade Car Park: https://www.cambridge.gov.uk/grand-arcade-car-park or the Park Street Car Park: https://www.cambridge.gov.uk/park-street-car-park

Please note spaces are limited but will be confirmed by email. Refreshments will be served.

RSVP: Catherine Kimberley, Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner: 01223 425819, email: cambs-pcc@cambs.pnn.police.uk by Friday 13th January.

Please note there is no charge for attending this event.