Carol Robinson
Lecturer

Profile

Biography

Carol joined the University of York as a Lecturer in Criminology in September 2019, after having worked in high security, medium security and open prisons as a prison chaplain for more than 9 years. Her career has included several years in the voluntary sector, including as director of a charity working with young people experiencing homelessness and later as chief executive of an environmental campaigning charity. She was also manager of the Learning and Teaching Subject Centre for History, Classics and Archaeology, based at the University of Glasgow.

Her book Dying in Prison, based on her ESRC-funded PhD, is due for publication with Palgrave Macmillan in 2023, and explores what happens when a prisoner is dying of natural causes.

Carol is interested in pedagogy and improving teaching and learning experiences in Criminology, with a particular focus on how criminological theory is taught.

Education

PhD in Sociology, University of York, March 2020

MA in Criminology and Social Research (Distinction) University of York, 2016

BA (Hons) degree in Modern History, University of Oxford, 1995

University roles

• Member of the University of York Learning and Teaching Forum
• Chair of the Sociology Athena Swan Self-Assessment Team
• Graduate Teaching Assistant Coordinator for the Sociology department
• Programme lead for BA (Hons) Criminology, Sociology with Criminology and MA Criminology and Social Research
• Equality and Diversity Champion for Sociology

Teaching

Undergraduate

2022-3

Sociology of Crime and Deviance (Year 1)

Crime, Culture and Social Change (Year 2)

Theoretical Criminology (Year 3) (module convenor)

Working in the Criminal Justice System (Year 3) (module convenor)

2023-4

Explaining Crime and Deviance (Year 1)

Influencers and Ideas in Criminology (Year 3) (module convenor)

Working in the Criminal Justice System (Year 3) (module convenor)

Postgraduate

2022-23

Advances in Criminological Theory (module convenor)

Critical Perspectives on the Criminal Justice System

2023-4

Advances in Criminological Theory (module convenor)

Critical Perspectives on the Criminal Justice System

Law and Social Control

Carol is co-supervisor for an ESRC-funded PhD using semi-structured interviews to look at experiences of non-consensual sexual image sharing.

Other teaching

Carol has delivered guest lectures and seminars at other institutions, including the University of Cambridge and York St John University. She has also contributed to the York Independent State School Partnership, delivering a lecture to year 8 students.

Publications

Selected publications

Books, book chapters and articles

Robinson, C (forthcoming). Dying in prison. London: Palgrave Macmillan.

Robinson, C. (2023). The anticipation of an investigation: The effects of expecting investigations after a death from natural causes in prison custody. Criminology & criminal justice 23 (1) pp3-19

Robinson, C. (2020). Prison officers: emotional labour and dying prisoners. In Phillips, J., Waters, J., Westaby, C. and Fowler, A. (Eds.). Emotional Labour in Criminal Justice and Criminology. London: Routledge. 

Robinson, C. (2020). Ethically important moments as data: reflections from ethnographic fieldwork in prisons. Research Ethics. 16 (1-2) p1-15

Robinson, C. (2019). Prison 'rules' and the use of restraints on terminally ill prisoners. Prison Service Journal. 241, p27-31

Blogs

Robinson, C. (2023). What I’ve leant (so far) from others about teaching criminological theory. BSC Learning and Teaching Network. [Online]. Available at: https://bscltn.wordpress.com/guest-articles/

Robinson, C. (2017). Not anonymous enough? Research data and issues of anonymity. 18 April 2017. Women Are Boring. [Online]. Available at: https://womenareboring.wordpress.com/2017/04/18/not-anonymous-enough-research-data-and-issues-of-anonymity/

Robinson, C. (2018) Tackling the ethical approval process. Forms over function: ethics, ethnography and the NHS. 15 January 2018, Women Are Boring. [Online] Available at: https://womenareboring.wordpress.com/2018/01/15/tackling-the-ethical-approval-process/

Conference papers

Conceptualising care in deaths from natural causes in prison custody. Presented at Dying in Custody conference, 15-16 June, University of Bath

The carceral geography of dying from natural causes. Presented at British Society of Criminology Annual Conference 'Public Criminologies: Communities, Conflict and Justice' 3-5 July, 2019, Lincoln

Ethically Important Moments as data in researching responses to death and dying in prison. Presented at BSA Postgraduate Forum Event: “The Promise and Perils of Researching Sensitive Issues”. November, 2018, York

Dying Inside: The Governance of Mortality in Prison. Presented at Death and Culture II Conference, 6-7 September, 2018. York

Emotional Labour in Criminology and Criminal Justice. Invited member of discussion panel at “British Society of Criminology Annual Conference 2017: Forging Social Justice”, 4-7 July 2017, Sheffield

Tomato Plants and Ice-cream: Prison Officers’ approaches to dying prisoners. Presented at “Deaths at the Margins of the State, Centre for Death and Society Conference”, 9-10 June 2017, Bath

Dying Inside: deaths from natural causes in prison culture, regimes and relationships. Presented at “Deaths in the Criminal Justice System”, 23 February 2017. York

Public engagement events

Dealing with death in prison. Presentation as part of York ‘Dying Awareness’ week, May 2017 and as part of York’s Dead Good Festival, May 2018, May 2019

Dying in Prison. Finalist in University of York Three Minute Thesis competition, 2017.

Prison Terminal. Organised free showing of film and contributed to panel discussion with invited guests as part of York Festival of Ideas, June 2018.

Other

Robinson, C (2021). [Video]. Research Ethics & ethnographic fieldwork in prisons. SAGE Research Methods Video. London: SAGE