Kirstine Szifris

Who am I?

Kirstine joined PERU in January 2016 as a Research Associate. She has been working on a range of projects focussed primarily in and around prison education. In particular, she has worked with colleagues on Rapid Evidence Assessment (looking at the relationship between prison education and recidivism and employment outcomes) and developed a programme of research in conjuction with Novus. This will include a Realist Review that aims to look at the theory underpinning prison education and conducting a feasibility study investigating the use of an RCT methodology in assessing methods of delivering functional skills in prison. She has also been supporting colleagues on work around probation with interserve and around intensive community orders. Her work also included knowledge mobilisation which involves the launch of a new blog available through the Novus website. 

Kirstine came to the department from the Prison Research Centre, Cambridge University and is in the process of completing her PhD. Her research is entitled 'Philosophy in Prison: An exploration of personal development' and takes an exploratory approach to data collection. The research involved delivering two 12-week philosophy courses in HMP Grendon and HMP Full Sutton. Her time in the prisons allowed for an in-depth exploration of the role and relevance of philosophy course in prisons. Based on the principles of Socratic Dialogue, Kirstine's course engaged prisoners in philosophical conversation on a rang of topics including identity, morality, the good life, and society amoung others. Her findings draw on prison sociological literature, desistance theory, and research into prison education more broadly and indicate that such a class is relevant to the development of trust, well-being, forging relationship, and in forging a new identity and developing as a person. 

Academic and professional qualifications

Although Kirstine's PhD is primarily qualitative, her background is as a mathematics teacher. Kirstine studied for four years at the University of Sheffield, gaining a Master Degree in pur Mathmatics before studying for her PhD. Her interests in prison education stemmed from her work in secondary schools often working in deprived areas. During her NQT year, two of Kirstine's student were excluded from the school and sent to a local Pupil Referal Unit. She began to reflect on what would happen to these students' education and decided to pursue Criminology as a means of understanding the educational experiences of those who are unable to complete their school in the tradtional way. This naturally led Kirstine to look at prison education. 

Research expertise

Kirstine's interests are in and around prisons. she is particularly interested in the role of education in the lives of long-term prisoners, it's relevance to growing trust and relationships within the prisoner population, and its impact on wellbeing. Further to this, Kirstine is interested in developing theory and empirical evidence around the role of education in desistance from crime. Kirsitine is also extending her methodological intersts and is in the process of developing projects that take a more quantitative approach. 

Publications

• Journal articles

  K. Szifris (2017). Socrates and Aristotle: The Role of Ancient Philosophers in the Self-Understanding of Desisting Prisoners. Howard Journal of Criminal Justice. 56(4), pp.419-436.

  K. Szifris (2016). Philosophy in Prisons: Opening Minds and Broadening Perspectives through philosophical dialogu. Prison Service Journal. pp.33-38.

• Reports

  CC. Fox, M. Ellison, H. Partridge, K. Szifris, R. Horan (2016). The Enablers of Change Assessment Tool Evaluation. Manchester Metropolitan University, Interserve PLC.

Conference organisation

Szifris, K. (2015). Philosophy in prison: Taking a different perspective, Well-being Beyond GDP: The value of humanities, the arts and social science in forming and informing responses to contemporary social change, Manchester Metropolitan University Festival of Knowledge.

Szifris, K. (2016). Philosophy in Prison: Dialogue and community as a means of developing empathy and well-being in the prison classroom, British Society of Criminology Conference, Nottingham.

Szifris, K (2016). ‘Philosophy in prison: Opening minds and broadening perspectives through philosophical dialogue’ in Prison Service Journal, 225, pp. 33-38.

Szifris, K. (under review). ‘Socrates and Aristotle: The Role of Ancient philosophers in the self-understanding of desisting prisoners’, submitted to The Howard Journal of Crime and Justice. Ellison, M.,

Szifris, K., Horan, R., Fox, C. (under review). ‘A Rapid Evidence Assessment of the effectiveness of prison education in reducing recidivism and increasing employment’, submitted to The Probation Journal