Sarah Plimley

Lecturer

Health, Education, Policing and Sciences

I returned to education as a mature student to study Psychology and Criminology to compliment my areas of interest and support career development. I graduated from this degree with a 1st class Honours degree and have since progressed to research my PhD which focuses on the effectiveness of community provisions on desistance from crime. I have undertaken the PgCHPE qualification in education and graduated with a distinction.

Since graduating I have taught and supported a variety of undergraduate and postgraduate modules including.

  • Understanding Crime and Crime prevention
  • Research Methods
  • The Criminal Justice Process
  • Crime and Deviance in the modern era
  • Designing and Conducting Quantitative Research
  • Designing your dissertation project
  • Punishment and Penology
  • Mastering Project Design and Research Practice

I am involved in many areas of research related to the Criminal Justice System, as well as being a founding member of the British Society of Criminology – Prison Research Network. I am currently Deputy Chair of this network, and our primary focus is to share research opportunities and bring together academics, practitioners, and learners to work cooperatively on research in prisons.

Professional memberships and activities

  • Member of the British Society of Criminology
  • Chartered Graduate Member of the British Psychological Society.
  • Fellow of the Higher Education Academy 

Academic qualifications

  • Postgraduate Certificate in Higher and Professional Education, Staffordshire University.
  • BSc (Hons) Psychology and Criminology

Expertise

  • Online Research
  • Data analysis
  • Quantitative and Qualitative research
  • Working with offenders
  • Safeguarding
  • Pastoral care
  • Criminal Justice

Research interests

  • Austerity and the Criminal Justice System
  • The Special Police Force
  • Desistance
  • Resettlement
  • Rehabilitation
  • Marketisation in the Criminal Justice System
  • Business Crime
  • Female offending
  • Crime and gambling

Teaching

Undergraduate

  • The Criminal Justice Process
  • Understanding Crime and Crime Prevention
  • Quantitative Research methods
  • Punishment and Penology
  • Research Methods

Postgraduate

  • Mastering Project Design and Research Practice

Publications

Plimley, S.L. and Krahenbuhl, S., 2019. “Proud to be a Special”: a qualitative study exploring the experiences of Special Constables in the UK. Safer Communities.

Page, S. Turner, J., Bailey, L., Plimley, S., Bratt, S., McFarlane, K. (2021) Collaboration in conducting research: reflections on a mixed methods online data collection study with sentencers pertaining to their knowledge and experiences of sentencing those with gambling

in the UK for Quality Education

Sustainable Development Goal 4, Times Higher Education Impact Rankings 2024

for Career Prospects

Whatuni Student Choice Awards 2023

for Facilities

Whatuni Student Choice Awards 2023

for Social Inclusion

The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2023

of Research Impact is ‘Outstanding’ or ‘Very Considerable’

Research Excellence Framework 2021

of Research is “Internationally Excellent” or “World Leading”

Research Excellence Framework 2021

Four Star Rating

QS Star Ratings 2021