Institute of Criminal Justice Studies

Profile

Qualifications
BA (Hons) Sociology, University of Reading, MSc, University of Bristol, PhD, University of Reading

Thesis
Williams, A. (2004). ‘“There Ain’t No Peds in Paulsgrove”: Social Control, Vigilantes and the Misapplication of Moral Panic Theory.’

Research/Expertise/Teaching

1. The sociological impact of forensic evidence;
2. The construction of evidence (forensic evidence dynamics versus narrative interpretations);
3. Understanding criminality and the construction of ‘dangerous offenders’ (especially violent and sexual offenders);
4. Ethnographic and qualitative research methods;
5. SPSS, statistics and data analysis;
6. Decision making processes in crime scene management and criminal investigations;
7. Public protection (especially MAPPA and the monitoring of violent and dangerous offenders).
8. Criminological theory (psychosocial theories, labelling, social constructionism, and moral panics/crusades).

Current Research/Writing
I am currently undertaking the following projects:

1. ‘The handbook of public protection’, under contract with Willan Publishing (edited book with Nash, M. – due 2010);
2. Qualitative interviewing of moral entrepreneurs pertaining to key developments within criminal justice policy (race, mental illness, sex offenders etc.);
3. Examining the differences and similarities between forensic evidence dynamics and narratives of interpretation (turning quantitative data into qualitative data);
4. Qualitative analysis of public notification of child sex offender social policy discourses.

Research Reports:

1. Williams, A. and Hall, N. (2007). Policing critical incidents in London: report of an independent research study. Presented to the Critical Incident Advisory Group, London Metropolitan Police Service.

Publications:
Books/Manuscripts

1. Nash, M. and Williams, A. (2008). The anatomy of serious further offending. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Articles/Chapters

1. Nash, M. and Williams, A. (2009, forthcoming) ‘Sex Offender Notification – Pros and Cons’, in T. Ellis and S. Savage (eds) Debates in Criminal Justice. London: Routledge.
2. Williams, A. (2006). ‘Paedophiles, Panics, and Protests: Understanding Penal Populism’ in The Japanese Journal of Sociological Criminology. No 31. 52-72.
3. Thompson, Bill and Williams, Andy (2004) 'Virtual Offenders: The Other Side of Internet Allegations' in Calder, Martin (ed) Child Sexual Abuse and the Internet: Tackling the New Frontier. Lyme Regis: Russell House Publishing Limited.
4. Williams, Andy and Thompson, Bill (2004a) 'Vigilance Or Vigilantes: The Paulsgrove Riots and Policing Paedophiles in the Community. Part 1: The Long Slow Fuse' in The Police Journal, Vol. 77(2) 99-119.
5. Williams, Andy and Thompson, Bill (2004b) 'Vigilance Or Vigilantes: The Paulsgrove Riots and Policing Paedophiles in the Community. Part 2: The Lessons of Paulsgrove' in The Police Journal, Vol. 77(3)193-205.

Book Reviews

1. ‘Forensic Identification and Criminal Justice: Forensic Science, Justice and Risk’ (Carole McCartney). International Journal of Police Science Management, 2007, Vol 9 (2), 193-197.
2. ‘Handbook of Social Problems: An International, Comparative Perspective’ (edited by George Ritzer). Journal of Social Welfare and Family Law.

Conference Papers:

• Williams, Andy - Trawling for Trouble: Key Issues in Historical Cases of Abuse in Care Homes. Paper presented at the ‘2nd International Investigative Interviewing Conference, July 2006, Portsmouth.
• Williams, Andy - There Ain't No Peds in Paulsgrove: An Ethnographic Construction of the Aetiology of the Paulsgrove Demonstrations. Presented at the ‘Annual British Society of Criminology’ conference, July 2004, Portsmouth.
• Thompson, Bill and Williams, Andy – The Lessons of Paulsgrove. Paper presented at the ‘Managing Risk Through Partnership’ conference, November 2001, Devizes.