SPUR Project

2009 Winner (7 of 13)

Borstal Association Aftercare Records 1908-1925: Exploring the Effects of An Experiment in Desistance and Recidivism
Supervisors: Dr Judith Rowbotham, Dr Gary Moses

Juvenile recidivism and ways of promoting desistance amongst juvenile offenders, particularly teenagers, have long been a significant concern for society and government. Borstals represent a prominent, but seriously under-researched aspect of desistance policy. The project, which represents a pilot scheme, established the ways in which Borstal records can be exploited for a range of purposes (applied and pure), and involved a systematic examination by the student of around 2000 After Care record cards of the first Borstal Institution which are held at the NCCL Galleries of Justice (National Prisons collection) in Nottingham. Student tasks included data extraction, identification of appropriate and necessary research and dissemination practices including preparation for the Galleries of Justice exhibition and catalogue, recording of data and assistance with the creation of a database which will eventually be made publicly available via the Galleries of Justice and the SOLON website (SOLON is an interdisciplinary and inter-institutional consortium promoting studies into ‘bad’ behaviour and crime). Opportunities were made available for the student to co-author conference papers and journal articles.