Dr Ella Simpson BA (Hons), MA, PhD, FHEA

• Senior Lecturer in Criminology
• Level 4 Year Tutor
• ECR Lead for Centre for Communities and Social Justice
• Member of the Curators’ Committee for the Faculty of the Arts and Social Sciences
• Module Co-Leader, Foundations of Criminology (Level 4)
• Module Leader, Professional Practice in Criminal Justice (Level 4)
• Module Leader, Penology (Level 6)
• Module Co-Leader, Prison Histories; Past and Present (Level 7)
• Dissertation Supervisor (Levels 6 and 7)

• 2019 - Kathryn Davies Fellow for Peace, Middlebury College, VT, USA
• 2017 - British Academy/University of Sheffield ECR funded mentorship
• 2017 - Bath Spa University (Rising Star) Teaching Fellowship
• 2016 - Bath Spa University, 3MT Competition, 2nd Prize for ‘From Fiction to Fact: bad stories making good’
• 2013 - Bath Spa University, Competitive Fee-waiver studentship awarded to cover all fees for PhD
• 1997 - Middlesex University, Mike Brown Award for Outstanding Contribution to Creative Writing

• Fellow of Higher Education Academy
• Member of the British Society of Criminology
• Member of the European Society of Criminology
• Member of the American Society of Criminology
• Member of the International Criminal Justice Voluntary Sector Research Network (CRIMVOL)
• Member of the National Criminal Arts Alliance Research Committee

Ella’s PhD research focused on the role of creative writing practitioners in arts interventions with prisoners. They are particularly interested in how the life stories of practitioners may influence processes of change for both prisoners and practitioners, both in the arts and in the wider criminal justice sector. They are currently developing this research in order to construct a narrative evaluation framework better able to capture the nuances of such processes of change, informed by desistance theories.

Ella is also currently Principal or Co-Investigator on three projects that explore various aspects of people’s lived experience of prison and life after release.

• Co-Investigator for an evaluation of the ELEVATE CJS lived experience leadership programme (Criminal Justice Arts Alliance).
• Principal-Investigator for an evaluation of an Open Book/Clean Break education programme in HMP Downview (Open Book).
• Co-Investigator on a research project exploring the effective provision of legal information for people in prison (Socio-Legal Studies Association).

Key funded projects

2023) Principal Investigator – ‘Learning from the Silence: The Status, Rights and Experience of Hidden LGBTIQ+ Communities’.

• Aim: To conduct exploratory research on the status, rights and experiences of LGBTIQ+ people in an undisclosed MENA area.
• Results: A comprehensive literature review of current legal and policy documentation relating to rights of LGBTIQ+ people. Uncovered previously undocumented experiences of LGBTQI+ individuals and groups through interviews with a researcher in the field. Recommendations accepted in full. The research is being used to inform new policy decisions in the area.
• Funded by: UN Women - $10k.

(2021) Principal Investigator - Making Connections. A pilot study of Palestinian prisoner art in collaboration with Al Quds University, Jerusalem.

• Aim: To convene a roundtable of Palestinian and UK prisoners, former prisoners and creative practitioners to explore the crossovers between creative practice in prisons.
• Results: Creation of inter and intranational connections and initial agreements made to conduct further work between the two countries (on hold due to geo-political situation).
• Funded by: Bath Spa University HEQR Seed Funding - £3k.

(2021) Principal Investigator – ‘Evaluation of the National Criminal Justice Arts Alliance’s Professional Mentoring Scheme’.

• Aim: To evaluate the National Criminal Justice Arts Alliances’ Professional Mentoring Scheme for creative practitioners beginning to work in criminal justice settings.
• Results: Scheme was placed within context of wider mentoring theories and practice. Outcomes identified and recommendations made. Recommendations accepted in full and fed into the next iteration of the programme.
• Funded by: National Criminal Justice Arts Alliance - £2.5k.

(2016-17) Research Assistant - Evaluation of Making for Change project in HMP Downview.

• Aims: To evaluate the Making for Change education programme in HMP Downview.
• Results: Scheme was placed within context of wider desistance theories with focus on vocational skills and employability. Outcomes identified and recommendations made. Recommendations accepted in full and fed into the next iteration of the programme. Research cited in various academic and policy documents.
• Funded by: London College of Fashion and the Ministry of Justice.

2014 – 2016, Research Assistant - Evaluation of the Birmingham Youth Offending Service Music Programme.

• Aims: To evaluate the Birmingham Youth Offending Service Music Programme.
• Results: Scheme was placed within context of wider desistance theories with focus on creative skills and personal development. Outcomes identified and recommendations made. Recommendations accepted in full and fed into the next iteration of the programme. Research cited in various academic and policy documents.
• Funded by: Bath Spa University.

• 2024, Clinks, 'Capturing Butterflies: Bringing nuance to impact through narrative evaluation' – Presentation to 80 penal voluntary sector organisations on ‘Demonstrating Impact for Small and Medium Sized Voluntary Organisations’
• 2022, Teachers’ Talk Radio – Panel Discussion on Creative Writing Classes in Prison
• 2021, Centre for Cultural and Creative Industries - Blog Post, Simpson, E.  Setting Knowledge Free
• 2020, National Criminal Justice Arts Alliance - Blog Post, Simpson, E. Creative Writing at HMP Guys Marsh
• 2018 – 2020, MasterClass - Creative Writing Series and Anthology Creative writing programme delivered in partnerships with HMP Guys Marsh/Weston College
• 2018 – present, ‘The Literary Chain Gang’ - Creative Writing Series and Anthology Annual creative writing programme delivered in partnership with Colorado State University and HMP Erlestoke/Weston College
• 2019, Howard Journal Video Abstract From the Outside In: Narratives of creative writing practitioners working in the criminal justice system
• 2018, Institute for Community Research and Development - Blog Post Simpson, E. (2018) From the Outside In: Narratives of Creative Arts Practitioners Working in the Criminal Justice System

Peer-Reviewed

• Caulfield, L.S., Jolly, A., Simpson, E. and Devi-McGleish, Y (2020) '‘It’s not just music, it helps you from inside’: mixing methods to understand the impact of music on young people in contact with the criminal justice system.' Youth Justice. ISSN 1473-2254.
• Simpson, E. Morgan, C. and Caulfield, L.S. (2019) 'From the outside in: narratives of creative arts practitioners working in the criminal justice system.' The Howard Journal of Criminal Justice. ISSN 0265-5527.

Books

• Simpson, E. (in press) ‘In on the Outside’: The stories of creative writing practitioners working in prisons and their role in the desistance journey. London: Palgrave Macmillan.
• Simpson, E. (in press) A History of the Arts in Prisons, Abingdon: Routledge.

Book Chapters

• Simpson, E. (2024) ‘Making the Story Count: An argument for the development of a narrative evaluation tool in the arts in criminal justice sector’, in Gardner, A. and Caulfield, L. (eds.) Arts in Criminal Justice and Corrections: International perspectives on methods, journeys and challenges. London and New York: Routledge.
• Simpson, E. (2021) 'Starting at the end: a storyboard.' In: Fruish, A. (ed.) Tool box: red - ideas, inspirations, games. Arts Council England, pp. 101-103.
• Caulfield, L.S. and Simpson, E. (2019) 'Arts based interventions in the justice system.' In: Ugwudike, P, ed. Routledge companion to rehabilitative work in criminal justice. Routledge, Abingdon.

Commissioned Reports

• Simpson, E.  and Schreeche-Powell, E. (2024) An Eye-Opener and a Door-Opener: a process evaluation of the ELEVATE CJS leadership programme (2023/24).The Criminal Justice Alliance, UK.
• Simpson, E. (2021) An evaluation of the National Criminal Justice Arts Alliance’s Professional Mentoring Scheme 2020/21. NCJAA.
• Caulfield, L.S., Curtis, K. and Simpson, E. (2018) Making for change - an independent evaluation of Making for Change: skills in a Fashion Training & Manufacturing Workshop. London College of Fashion, UAL.
• McAleese, S., Simpson, E. and Hughes, N. (2017) The Voluntary Sector in Criminal Justice: Setting the Research Agenda: conference report. Centre for Criminological Research, University of Sheffield.
• Caulfield, L.S., Simpson, E. and Jacobs, C. (2016) An evaluation of the Birmingham Youth Offending Service Youth Music Project (Compliance, completion, and success). Youth Music.

• Simpson, E. (2023) Resistance, Desistance and the Space In-Between: How creative writing facilitators smuggle generative justice into the prison, British Society of Criminology Annual Conference, 10th-12th July. University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, Scotland.
• Simpson, E. (2023) Making the Story Count: The argument for a narrative evaluation tool in the arts in criminal justice sector. American Society of Criminology Annual Conference, 14th – 18th November. Philadelphia Marriott Downtown, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
• Simpson, E. (2023) Poetry as Punishment: Provocation or Policy. Early Career Researchers Event: Punishment and Society. Scottish Centre for Crime and Justice Research, 3rd August. University of Strathclyde, Scotland.
• Simpson, E. (2023) Making the Story Count: An experiment in narrative evaluation. European Society of Criminology, 6th – 9th September. University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
• Simpson, E. (2023) Making the Story Count: The development of a narrative evaluation tool in the arts in criminal justice sector and beyond. 4th Narrative Criminology Conference. 2nd-4th July. KUL Carolus Campus, Antwerp, Belgium.
• Simpson, E. (2023) Narratives of Transgression: The Life Stories of Creative Writing Practitioners in Prison Arts Practice, Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences 60th Annual Conference, 14th-18th March 2023, Gaylord National Resorts and Conference Centre, National Harbour, Maryland, USA.
• Simpson, E. (2022) ‘Narratives of Transgression: The Life Stories of Creative Writing Practitioners at Work in the Prison. European Society of Criminology 22nd Annual Conference, 21st-24th September 2022, University of Malaga, Spain.
• Simpson, E. (2022) ‘The Interior Landscape on the Outside: The relationship between psychology and trauma in the stories of creative writing practitioners in prisons’, 6th-7th July, University of Cambridge.
• Simpson, E. (2022) ‘Stories from the Inside: The narratives of creative writing practitioners in prisons’, 3rd Narrative Criminology Symposium, 16th-18th June, University of Genoa, Italy.
• Simpson, E. (2017-2020) Criminal Research: Creating Communities of Practice REF2021 collection.
• Simpson, E. (2019) ‘The Alienation of Empathy: Outsiders and Insiders in the Criminal Justice System’, Empathy in Research: Writing and Empathy Research Group, 15 June 2019, Bath Spa University, Bath, UK.
• Simpson, E. (2019) All Party Parliamentary Group on Poetry - Invited contributor. Contributed knowledge on the role of poetry in prison environments.
• Soyinka, B and Simpson, E (2018) ‘Story as refuge’, Storytelling and Refuge / Storytelling as Refuge: George Ewart Evans Centre for Storytelling Annual Symposium, 6 - 7 April 2018, University of South Wales, Cardiff, Wales.
• Simpson, E. (2018) ‘Being the change you want to see: the importance of frontline practitioners' stories in understanding the penal voluntary sector’, The Criminal Justice Voluntary Sector: Emerging Scholarship: CRIMVOL International Research Network, 9 January 2018, British Academy, London, UK.
• Simpson, E. (2017) ‘Authoring desistance: the role of practitioners in creative interventions’, The Second Narrative Criminology Symposium: The Narrative Criminology Research Network, 14 - 15 June 2017, University of Oslo, Norway.
• Caulfield, L.S., Simpson, E. & Jacobs, C. (June 2017) ‘Improving resilience and well-being through the arts: exploring methodologies using an example of research in youth justice’, Culture, Health and wellbeing international conference Culture, Health and wellbeing international conference: University of Bristol, UK.
• Simpson, E. and Morgan, C. (2015).  ‘Creative Collaborations: A Case Study’, ERSC Knowledge Exchange event: Bath Spa University, UK.
• Simpson, E. (2015) ‘The Story of Crime: Offending scientific tradition and the role of crime fiction’, Captivating Criminality (II) Crime Fictions, Traditions and Transgressions: Bath Spa University, UK.