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Sarah Connelly


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Lecturer in Criminology, SFHEA

I joined the University in March 2020 and I teach in the School of Social Sciences at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. I am a lecturer in Criminology and the Personal Academic Tutor for BSC Criminology (level 4). I completed my BA (Hons) in Sociology in 2013 – 2016 (University of Sunderland), a Masters in Sociology in Social Research in 2016 – 2017 (Newcastle University), and a PGCert in higher education 2022 -2023 (University of Sunderland). I also gained my Senior Fellowship of Advance HE in September 2023.

I am currently interested in researching how the term ‘vulnerability’ is understood and navigated in custody suites in the UK, as well as the experiences of people within custody settings. I am a co-investigator on a UKRI Policy Support funded project exploring the experiences of trans and non-binary people in custody in the UK.

I am the Scheme Manager for the Northumbria Local Appropriate Adult Scheme (NLAAS), and I work with current and postgraduate students to provide and maintain 24/7 coverage across local police stations for adults who are identified as vulnerable.

Prior to joining the university, I positioned myself in roles including implementing EDI support into business units, support work for gender-diverse young people, working as an education officer within a human rights organisation, and working in legal research on domestic and international research projects.

I am a member of the National Appropriate Adult Network, the DISCRIM network, and CASS.



Teaching and supervision

I currently teach across the social sciences on the BSc Criminology, MSc Inequality and Society, and the MSc Leadership in Criminal Justice and Policing. I also supervise dissertations in Criminology.

I am the module leader for:

  • CRM101 - Criminology Theories, Trends, and Myths
  • CRM103 - The Youth Paradox: Criminological Perspectives of Young People
  • LCPM08 – Practitioner and Lived Experience Perspectives in Criminal Justice


You will find me teaching across:

  • CRM101 – Criminology Theories, Trends, and Myths
  • CRM103 - The Youth Paradox: Criminological Perspectives of Young People
  • SOC232 – Researching Society: Private, Public and Third Sector Organisations
  • SOC233: Researching Society with Placement
  • LCPM08 - Practitioner and Lived Experience Perspectives in Criminal Justice
  • SSCM25 – Inequalities, Diversity, and Intersectionality: Theory and Practice

Research interests for potential research students

  • Vulnerability
  • Transgender and non-binary support
  • The medicalisation of the bodies 
  • The role of the Appropriate Adult

Research

  • Supporting Staff to Research
    This project (in collaboration with Dr. Nicola Roberts) adopts an institutional ethnography approach to analyse institutional texts and 'work knowledges' to inquire how a HEI can best support staff to research.
  • Exploring the experiences of trans and non-binary people in custody in the UK: implications for policy and practice)
    This project (in collaboration with Dr. Helen Williams) will explore the experiences of trans and non-binary people in relation to being processed within a custody suite. Trans and non-binary people face unique challenges within custody.  A person’s rights and treatment are based on the custody officer involved and their understanding and decision-making around gender identity. We will gather the perceptions and experiences of people with lived experience and practitioners within custody to explore how guidance from governmental bodies is negotiated by officers, and how this is experienced by individuals.
  • Continuity of Appropriate Adult Services for Vulnerable Suspects During the COVID-19 Pandemic
    • This paper (in collaboration with Dr. Donna Peacock and Samantha Reveley) draws upon qualitative data collected from providers of AA services to develop an understanding of the impact of COVID-19 on service provision. We conclude that while demand during the pandemic remained at a similar level, the availability of volunteer AAs was impacted and that PPE provision was inconsistent. 
    • Social Science Placement Research Project
      This project (in collaboration with Dr. Liz Henry) will use a mix methods approach to explore the experiences and initiatives behind choosing a social science placement to feed into supporting provisions in future for students, staff, and providers.
    • Nightstop
      For this project, I worked as a research assistant for Dr. Lesley Deacon and Dr. Sarah Lonbay on a project to support a third-sector organisation. The role includes designing a data collection tool that will explore awareness, service usage, and procurement processes.

     

    I am also currently applying to start a PhD which aims to unpack the term ‘vulnerability’ and the mechanisms impacted by it.

    Past research:
    My Masters dissertation explored the ways in which medical diagnoses reinforce heteronormativity. Using the sociology of diagnosis, this body of work analysed the reification of binary coding upon bodies and the nosological approaches cast upon social identities.

Publications

Number of items: 12.

Reports, briefing/ working papers

Durey, Matthew and Connelly, Sarah (2024) Disciplines divided: an exploration of the condition of taught UK social science. Project Report. UNSPECIFIED. (Unpublished)

Deacon, Lesley, Lonbay, Sarah and Connelly, Sarah (2023) Understanding Referral Processes for Responding to Youth Homelessness. Project Report. UNSPECIFIED. (Unpublished)

Reveley, Samantha, Connelly, Sarah and Peacock, Donna (2021) Northumbria Local Appropriate Adult Scheme Annual Evaluation 2021. Other. Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Northumbria, Newcastle. (Submitted)

Conference or Workshop Item

Connelly, Sarah (2024) What is the role of the appropriate adult? In: Seeing and Treating Neurodiverse Individuals in the Criminal Justice System, 14 Mar 2024, Online. (Unpublished)

Connelly, Sarah (2023) ‘Public Benefit’ or the ‘Corrosion of Public Discourse’? – An Intersectional Analysis of the Human Rights of Trans and Non-Binary People in the U.K. In: #SaferToBeMe Symposium: Online Satellite Events, University of Sunderland | ReportOUT. (Unpublished)

Connelly, Sarah (2023) An intersectional analysis into gender and age in relation to choice and support. In: CASS Public Lectures, 24th May 2023, University of Sunderland. (Unpublished)

Connelly, Sarah (2023) How are the ‘forgotten group’ in the cost-of-living crisis constructing capital volunteering in the criminal justice system? An exploration into opportunity, inclusion, and the practice knowledge acquired by working-class students in the Northeast of England. In: Faculty of Education and Society Fifth Annual Staff Research Conference: Economic and Social Inclusion, 12th June 2023, University of Sunderland. (Submitted)

Connelly, Sarah and Naisby, Lauren (2023) Reflections on the Northumbria Local Appropriate Adult Scheme 2023. In: DisCrim: (UKRI) Violence Abuse and Mental Health Network, 12th March 2023, University of Sunderland. (Submitted)

Reveley, Samantha, Connelly, Sarah and Peacock, Donna (2022) COVID-19 AND POLICE CUSTODY: �COMPOUNDING VULNERABILITY AMONG APPROPRIATE ADULT SERVICE USERS. In: EUROCRIM Conference Malaga 2022, 21-24 September 2022, Malaga.

Reveley, Samantha, Connelly, Sarah and Peacock, Donna (2022) COVID-19 and Police Custody: Compounding Vulnerability Among Appropriate Adult Service Users. In: British Society of Criminology Annual Conference, Reimagining Criminological Futures: New Criminologies in a Changing World, 29th June-1st July, 2022, University of Surrey. (Unpublished)

Quaid, Sheila and Connelly, Sarah (2021) Visual Research Practice and Sociology Teaching: Sociology Theory and the Use of Cinematic Film. In: Professions-Facing 3rd Annual Faculty of Education and Society Staff Research Conference, 14 Jun 2021, University of Sunderland. (Unpublished)

Audio

Connelly, Sarah (2021) ReportOUT, Hidden Voices Podcast: Series 2: United Kingdom. [Audio] (Submitted)

This list was generated on Fri Apr 26 14:19:24 2024 BST.
  • I teach and research on the following specialisms and interests:


  • Intersectionality
  • Experiences of trans and non-binary people online and offline
  • The role of appropriate adult provisions as a safeguarding protocol in custody
  • Discourse around the term ‘vulnerability’
  • Qualitative research methods
  • Quantitative research methods

Last updated 02 April 2024