Directory of Research

All research and evidence on NICCO is reviewed using a Quality Assessment Tool (QAT) developed by the University of Huddersfield and Barnardo's.

Research and evidence is assessed in four key areas: Methodological Quality, Child-Centredness, Relevance to Policy and Strategy, and Relevance to Practice with offender's children. This ensures that items on the NICCO website are as useful as possible to academics, practitioners, commissioners and other professionals. For more information about the development of the QAT or to review research in order to list it on NICCO, please see the QAT webpage where you can download the Tool, Guidebook and a short step-by-step 'How To' document. Please contact us to submit quality assessed research on to NICCO.

Click on the icons to see a full list of items which have been awarded a standard icon or icon+ (for items which have scored particularly highly) in each key area:

Child-Centredness

Relevance to Policy

Methodological Quality

Relevance to Practice

25. The Impact of Family Involvement in the Criminal Justice System (Non-Imprisonment) on Children's Outcomes
This evidence summary looks at the impact of family offending on children's outcomes, focusing on non-imprisonment (e.g. suspended sentences, community sentences, etc). It also explores evidence of interventions that support children of offenders that have not been imprisoned. The summary highlights that where there is parental involvement with the Criminal Justice System (CJS), it is important to address the parents' support needs, as these can significantly impact on their...

26. Mitigating Motherhood: A study of the impact of motherhood on sentencing decisions in England and Wales
This study investigates whether the caring responsibilities of a defendant mother are treated as personal mitigation to reduce sentence length in England and Wales. The peer-reviewed research uses a combination of textual analysis of secondary data (transcripts of Crown Court sentencing remarks) and interview data. The research found that there is inconsistency in the application of personal mitigation to sentencing due to the exercise of judicial discretion. Judges with a greater...
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27. Representations of Attachment Relationships in Children of Incarcerated Mothers
This peer reviewed article looks at representations of attachment relationships which were assessed in 54 children ages 2 to 7 years whose mothers were in prison. The research found that 63% of the children were classified as having insecure relationships with mothers and caregivers. Secure relationships were more likely found in children who lived in a stable caregiving environment, when children reacted to separation from the mother with sadness instead of anger, and when children were...
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28. Mothers in prison: The sentencing of mothers and the rights of the child
This research notes that 66% of women in prison are mothers of dependent children. The forcible separation of a child from its mother or father impacts on the child's rights under Article 8 of the European Convention of Human Rights, and thus courts are required to weigh up the child's rights against the seriousness of their parent's crime. This research questions the above and whether the courts always obtain information about children or whether they consider children's...
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29. Justice and Prisoners Families
This short paper is the 5th in a series of working papers from the Howard League called What is Justice? Re-imagining penal policy. Kotova notes that despite previous research showing that prisoners' families in the UK are affected financially, socially, emotionally and practically by imprisonment, this is not yet one of the key topics in criminology and/or the sociology of punishment. Furthermore, criminal justice policy does not engage with prisoners' families needs, instead the...
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30. Resettlement provision for adult offenders: Accommodation and education, training and employment
This inspection report which aims to inform the upcoming changes to prisons and probation as part of the Transforming Rehabilitation agenda, confirms the importance of the family's role in the resettlement of ex-prisoners. The report focuses on reducing reoffending. Research was conducted with offenders prior to imprisonment, during imprisonment and six months after release. Fieldwork was also carried out with supervisors. Key findings of note to NICCO users include: -...

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