Criminal justice expertise at Birmingham City University

Pioneering research into criminal justice and associated fields at Birmingham City University has been officially recognised for its world-leading and international excellence.

Birmingham City University experts working in the fields of social work, social policy and administration have focused their research on a range of contemporary issues affecting society, including:

public order policing
comparative policing
community safety
representations of crime and criminal justice
young people and social exclusion
the health, education and well-being of prisoners.

Researchers and academic staff at Birmingham City University therefore work with a number of high profile partners and national agencies, including the Children's Society and the Howard League for Penal Reform.

This important work has been recognised in the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise (RAE), a national audit measuring research quality across the UK education sector.

The RAE outcome revealed that some 90 per cent of submitted research was judged as being of international standard, and 20 per cent of this was described as being 'world-leading' or internationally excellent.

"This is a fantastic outcome for us," said Professor David Tidmarsh, Vice-Chancellor at Birmingham City University . "To have research that is recognised as leading the rest of the world reflects our commitment to building our profile at a regional, national and international level."

This outstanding research, he added, is an integral element of the wider teaching responsibilities of the Faculty of Education, Law and Social Sciences at Birmingham City University

The 2008 RAE results confirm the position of Birmingham City University researchers as being at the forefront of debates surrounding policing, prisons, social exclusion, human rights and community safety.