Remembering Dr. Ruth Mann
The Forensic Psychology Podcast
Fiona Williams is a Psychologist with over 30 years of experience in HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS). She is the Head of Interventions Services, a team of specialist staff who are responsible for the design of accredited programmes. Her remit also includes responsibility for accredited programmes staff training and the quality assurance of all programme delivery across over 200 prison and probation delivery sites. Rosie Travers leads the evidence based practice team in HMPPS. This is a small team of staff dedicated to bringing the best available evidence into our...
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In memory of Erwin James: Reflections from a Lifer
The Forensic Psychology Podcast
Last week we very sadly lost Erwin James, who was a champion of prison reform through his journalism - a career he started while still serving a life sentence in prison. In 2021, we were honoured to welcome Erwin as a guest on the Forensic Psychology Podcast, and we wanted to repost that interview to remind ourselves of his thoughts on the role forensic psychologists played in his time in prison. Erwin James was a Guardian columnist and contributor - a career he started in 1998 while still serving in prison. He then became Editor in Chief of Inside Time, the national newspaper for people in...
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Inside the long-term high secure estate | Jane Read and Debbie Marsh
The Forensic Psychology Podcast
Jane Read has over 25 years experience of working within the High Security prison estate. In that time she has worked in the Dangerous and Severe Personality Disorder Programme (DSPD) and was closely involved in the development of the assessment & treatment models for this programme. For 15 years Jane was the director of psychological services at HMP Wakefield and since January 2018 she has been the clinical Framework Progression Lead for the Directorate of Security. In 2023 Jane was awarded an OBE for services to prison and the community. Debbie Marsh is has worked as a psychologist...
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Brain Injuries | Prof Huw Williams Live at HMPPS National Psychology Conference 2023
The Forensic Psychology Podcast
Professor Huw Williams is a professor of Clinical Neuropsychology. He has pioneered research focusing on traumatic brain Injury in those involved in the criminal justice system, and neuro-rehabilitation and crime. He and colleagues have shown that a substantial number of people in contact with the law have traumatic brain Injuries. Findings have influenced screening and assessment for TBI nationally and internationally, contributing to changes in the UN Convention on Rights of the Child for enabling better support for those with neurodisability to lessen risk of criminalisation. He is a...
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Risk Assessment
The Forensic Psychology Podcast
R. Karl Hanson, Ph.D., C.Psych., is one of the leading researchers in the field of risk assessment and treatment for individuals with a history of sexual offending. Originally trained as a clinical psychologist, he was a researcher and research manager in the area of corrections and crime policy for Public Safety Canada between 1991 and 2017. Dr. Hanson has published more than 175 articles, including several highly influential reviews. He is the lead author of the Static-99R, STABLE-2007, and ACUTE-2007 risk tools, which are widely used for assessing the risk and needs of individuals...
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Open Prisons
The Forensic Psychology Podcast
Adrian Turner joined the prison service 1988 as a prison officer, working at Ashford Remand Centre. He subsequently worked at HMP Full Sutton, HMP Norwich, HMP Whitemoor, PSC Newbold Revel, HMP Lindholme, HMP Channings Wood, HMP Gloucester, HMP Eastwood Park, HMP Bristol, HMP Sudbury and currently works as the Senior Operational Lead for the open estate. Prior to working in headquarters he was Governing Governor of Sudbury open prison for seven years. He has worked at every level of HM Prison and Probation Service and in every type of establishment. His main motivation is to help...
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Bias in Forensic Psychology: Live at the European Congress of Psychology, Brighton 2023
The Forensic Psychology Podcast
Martine Ratcliffe has worked as a forensic psychologist for HM Prison and Probation Service for 20 years. She’s currently the national diversity and inclusion (D&I) lead for the Psychology Services Group. Her passion for D&I has been amplified through her work with men, women and children in custody and from personal experience as a mixed-race woman working within HMPPS. Dr Tansy Warrilow is a clinical psychologist at Rampton High Secure Hospital. She has introduced innovative techniques within her practice to address sources of cultural bias for clients. Lawrence Jones is a...
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Psychology Across HMPPS: Wales
The Forensic Psychology Podcast
In this special mini-series of the Forensic Psychology Podcast, Sally and Kerensa talk to people who work as psychologists across the five directorates of the prison service, to get an idea of what their jobs entail and the environments they work in. Rebecca Ministro and Harriet Chapman both work in the directorate that covers prisons in Wales. For more information about careers in prisons, visit
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Psychology Across HMPPS: Women's Directorate
The Forensic Psychology Podcast
In this special mini-series of the Forensic Psychology Podcast, Sally and Kerensa talk to people who work as psychologists across the five directorates of the prison service, to get an idea of what their jobs entail and the environments they work in. Poppy Marston and Rebecca Young both work in the directorate that covers women's prisons. For more information about careers in prisons, visit
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Psychology Across HMPPS: Youth Custody Service
The Forensic Psychology Podcast
In this special mini-series of the Forensic Psychology Podcast, Sally and Kerensa talk to people who work as psychologists across the five directorates of the prison service, to get an idea of what their jobs entail and the environments they work in. Alex Bonas and Mel Lewis both work in the Youth Custody Service with children and young adults. For more information about careers in prisons, visit
info_outlineFiona Williams is a Psychologist with over 30 years of experience in HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS). She is the Head of Interventions Services, a team of specialist staff who are responsible for the design of accredited programmes. Her remit also includes responsibility for accredited programmes staff training and the quality assurance of all programme delivery across over 200 prison and probation delivery sites.
Rosie Travers leads the evidence based practice team in HMPPS. This is a small team of staff dedicated to bringing the best available evidence into our everyday practice in prison and probation, scanning the latest academic research and translating that into practice-relevant headlines for busy colleagues, and helping evaluate what difference that makes. Rosie is a forensic psychologist and worked for many years developing and evaluating offending behaviour programmes before moving a few years ago into an evidence team with a wider remit.
Alan Scott joined the Prison Service as an Assistant Governor in 1983 from university and was posted to HMYCC Wellingborough. He then moved to HMP Gartree before being posted to HMP Haverigg and then HMP Preston as Deputy Governor, where he was then promoted to Governor of HMP Preston. After running HMP Wymott, he became Area Manager South West then returned to the North West as Area Manager. He acted as Director of Prisons for 6 months prior to becoming Director of Public Sector Prison North. He was appointed AED for the NW and Women’s Estate in October 2023. Areas of responsibility held include Young Adult Lead for HMPPS until recently and Chair Of Rehabilitative Culture Programme Board.
Shadd Maruna is Professor of Criminology at Queen’s University Belfast and the Past President of the American Society of Criminology. He is the author of the books Making Good and Rehabilitation: Beyond the Risk Paradigm with Tony Ward.
Key references:
Mann, R. E., Hanson, R. K., & Thornton, D. (2010). Assessing risk for sexual recidivism: Some proposals on the nature of psychologically meaningful risk factors. Sexual Abuse, 22(2), 191-217.
Mann, R. E., Fitzalan-Howard, F., & Tew, J. (2018). What is a rehabilitative prison culture? Prison Service Journal, 235, 3–9.
Travers, R., Williams, F., & Willis, G. M. (2020). Recognising a trailblazer; celebrating a colleague; thanking a friend. Journal of Sexual Aggression, 26(2), 145-150.
Maruna, S., & Mann, R. E. (2006). A fundamental attribution error? Rethinking cognitive distortions. Legal and Criminological Psychology, 11(2), 155-177.
De Vries Robbé, M., Mann, R. E., Maruna, S., & Thornton, D. (2015). An exploration of protective factors supporting desistance from sexual offending. Sexual Abuse, 27(1), 16-33.
Dean, C., Mann, R. E., Milner, R., & Maruna, S. (2007). Changing child sexual abusers' cognition. Aggressive Offenders' Cognition: Theory, Research, and Practice, 117-134.
Maruna, S., & Mann, R. (2019). Reconciling ‘desistance’and ‘what works’. Academic Insights, 1, 3-10.