Stephen Collett

Biography

I've worked for three North West probation areas over four decades, retiring from Cheshire Probation in December 2010 after ten years as its chief officer. I chaired the Cheshire Criminal Justice Board between October 2004 and January 2007 and was a founding vice chair of the Probation Chiefs Association from April 2008 to November 2010.  I also taught social policy in further education in the early 1980s before returning to Probation to take up a joint appointment with Merseyside Probation & Liverpool University (1987-1991). I have been an Honorary Fellow within the Department of Sociology since then and following retirement in 2011, was made an Honorary Reader in criminology at Manchester University.  In 2012, I was made an Honorary Fellow of Liverpool John Moores University.  

My interest in social work and criminal justice grew out of his work as a residential volunteer in 1971 for the Liverpool Simon Community, a homelessness charity, in which I retained involvement for thirty years as a trustee and chair of its Council of Management for l2 years until its incorporation within a national housing charity in 2005.

I've been a member of the Probation Journal Editorial Board for over 20 year and is currently the Series Editor for the ICCJ Monograph Series.   I've contributed to various peer reviewed journals.

Education

Bsc (Hons) Liberal sudies in Science Mancheter Univ 1974
Post graduate Diploma in Social Admin Liverpool Univ 1976
CQSW Liverpool University 1977
Ma (Econ)Social policy Mancester Univ 1989

Areas of Research / Professional Expertise

I do not profess to have a particular research expertise but I believe I  have a long track record in relating policy developments and contemporary political thinking to direct practice with those individuals before the courts and subject to criminal justice sanctions.   I've taken opportunities throughout my employment as a practitioner, manager and leader to offer insights into the rehabilitative endeavour which is complementary to but distinct from straight forward criminal justice research.  Consequently, I've published on a range of issues including practice teaching, electronic monitoring, court work, housing & risk, social policy and justice policy, justice & sentencing.

Personal Interests

Related personal interests include projects that involve those subject to criminal justice sanctions in shared art/music and learning initiatives.  I'm a trustee of two Merseyside VCS organisations - Tomorrow's Women Wirral (a women's centre based on the Corston 2007  principles and The Whitechapel Centre working with homeless men and women.  I also chair the Rhodes Foundation Scholarship Trust which supports criminal justice staff visit foreign jurisdictions to research areas of rehabilitative policy and practice

Books