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Rona Epstein

Profile

Biography

Rona Epstein

Honorary Visiting Research Fellow 

I graduated from the Law School, Coventry University in 1996 and remained at the Law School as an Honorary Research Assistant and then as an Honorary Research Fellow. I did research on imprisonment for poll tax debt and for fine default. I had a grant from the Youth Justice Board to do research on young people on Referral Orders.  I then had a grant from the Nuffield Foundation to do research on imprisonment for fine default and owing local taxes. I researched the links between poverty and imprisonment for debt.

My articles have been published in many different journals, including: The New Law Journal; Solicitors Journal; January 2019  British Journal of Community Justice Vol 15 Issue 1 Jan 2019  Policy and practice for young adult women in the criminal justice system; The Barrister; Legal Executive Journal; Coventry Law Journal.

I have been active in working with the Law Commission which had a public consultation on the law of contempt of court and asked Professor Caroline Hunter and myself for our view, which we gave them, based on our respective research on this topic. The Home Office consulted me recently on Anti-social Behaviour Injunctions: I corresponded with them on this topic, sharing my research findings and helping  their team as far as I was able.

Research

Overview

My main research interests are twofold. The link between poverty and criminal sanctions. See the website of an alliance which I started, together with Professor Siddhartha Bandyopadhyay, Director of the Centre for Justice, Crime and Policing at the University of Birmingham. For this  work I have received a research grant from The Oakdale Trust of £2,000 awarded in July 2024.

My related research interest is the sanctions which are applied in the civil courts to those who have breached an Anti-social Behaviour Injunction, particularly those who have been committed to a term of imprisonment. I have also done research into current prison conditions.

Publications

Selected publications