Crime and Justice
"Making Scotland a safer place means developing a coherent penal policy which is tough on serious crime, offers swift justice and community payback".
Scottish Government
Tackling crime is one of the biggest challenges facing government. With ever increasing focus on prevention through tackling the root causes of crime, as well as ensuring the effectiveness of the justice system, research in this area has wider implications for other areas, including communities, social cohesion, health and education.
Crime and justice research covers an extensive range of issues, from crime rates and clear-up statistics to the physical and emotional impacts of crime on individuals and communities. In addition, research must take into account a myriad of legal and ethical issues, particularly concerning the handling of sensitive data and conducting research among vulnerable groups of people. As a result, research in this area is complex, requiring specialist knowledge combined with robust and reliable research approaches.
We have extensive experience of conducting crime and justice research. Our recent projects include evaluations of the Sex Offenders Community Notification pilot and the Campus Police Officers in Scottish Schools pilot, as well as research among civil court users.
We have conducted research among a wide range of groups involved in the justice system, including:
-
Practitioners such as the police, the judiciary, procurators fiscal and solicitors
-
Victims and witnesses
-
Offenders
-
National stakeholders, such as the Scottish Government, the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland (ACPOS), the Crown Office and Procurators Fiscal Service (COPFS), the Scottish Courts Service (SCS), the Scottish Legal Aid Board (SLAB); and
-
Local stakeholders including community groups, local councils, and health and education professionals.
We employ a holistic approach to crime and justice research, utilising quantitative and qualitative methods, including surveys, analysis of administrative data, case studies and depth interviewing. We are mindful of the impact our research can have on those involved, particularly vulnerable groups such as victims, witnesses and offenders. As such, we have developed our methods through years of experience to ensure that we do not cause any further distress while researching sensitive issues.
Ultimately, our aim is to usefully inform policy and strategy by conducting research that takes into account the complexities of the subject area and provides results that are robust and reliable.
Below is a selection of our experience in crime and justice research.
For more information, please contact Vickie Chamberlain.
Current projects
Civil Legal Aid Advice Office Network
Ipsos MORI has been commissioned by the Scottish Legal Aid Board to develop outcome measures for clients of the Board's Civil Legal Aid Offices (CLAOs), which aim to address legal need in local areas that is not met by privately run legal firms. The study involves a literature review, depth interviews with clients and staff, and then the development of the measures. Having the correct outcome indicators, which will measure the broad results achieved through the provision of the service, will enable the CLAOs to learn about what is working and what is not and therefore how to become more effective and efficient.
For more information, please contact Vickie Chamberlain on 0131 226 8677.