Hope Kent

About me:

I am a Postdoctoral Research Associate with Professor Huw Williams. My research aims to evidence and change the way that people with disabilities are marginalised in our education, health, and social care systems. This marginalisation often leads to poor mental health, contact with the criminal justice system, and myriad other poor outcomes that are seriously detrimental to quality of life.

I work mainly with large administrative datasets to draw inferences about how people interact with systems.

I am also interested in improving our understanding of the ethical implications of risk-modelling in the criminal justice system. I am studying how ethical guidelines might be improved to reduce disadvantage created by these models for marginalised groups.

My PhD thesis examined public health approaches to criminology. I am accessing linked Ministry of Justice and Department of Education data to understand the criminalisation of children and young adults, with a particular focus on those with neurodisabilities and Looked After Children. I am also working closely with DoIT Solutions (https://doitprofiler.com/) to utilise screening data for prisoners in Wales, and understand their profiles of needs in relation to mental health and neurodisability.

Additional Roles. I am the UK policy and research director for PINK Concussions, an American charity which advocates for women and girls who have experienced brain injury. I provide administrative support for the Acquired Brain Injury Justice Network, which is part of UKABIF. I am part of the GLEPHA Neurodisability Special Interest Group, which meets quarterly to share interventions, research, and ideas to prevent people with neurodisabilities coming into contact with the criminal justice system. Additionally, I am a Research Assistant for TRYJustice, a newly formed network working towards improving outcomes for children who are in contact with the criminal justice system.

Research Keywords:

• Neurodevelopmental
• Neurodisability
• Criminal Justice System
• School Exclusion
• Traumatic Brain Injury
• Social Models of Disability

Research Group Webpage:

https://sites.exeter.ac.uk/neurodisabilitycriminaljustice/

PINK Concussions:

https://www.pinkconcussions.com/

TRYJustice:

https://www.tryjustice.org.uk/

Qualifications:

Bsc (Hons) Applied Psychology (Clinical), University of Exeter (First Class)

Msc Psychological Research Methods, University of Exeter (Distinction)

Evidence Based Psychological Therapies (IAPT)