Sophie Ellis

I am an interdisciplinary researcher in psychology and criminology, with experience in both research and in applied psychology practice. My main interest is in the relationship between the ‘psy’ disciplines and criminal justice institutions, particularly those that punish. I am currently undertaking my PhD, studying the history and sociology of psychologists working in prisons, through exploration of historical archives, and interviews with psychologists who have worked in prisons. 

Before arriving at Cambridge, I spent nine years working in forensic psychological practice for the Prison Service in England/Wales. I conducted assessments of risk, need and ability, and delivered a range of psychological interventions. Latterly I specialised in working with men convicted of serious and repetitive violence. Much of my work was with men serving indeterminate sentences.

During my time in the Prison Service, I conducted research on the psychosocial characteristics of men who behaved violently in custody, and desisted over the course of their sentence. I was interested in how people managed to desist in an environment that typically has elevated levels of violence. 

In 2017, I moved to a Research Assistant post at the Institute of Criminology. For two years, I worked on the Families and Imprisonment Research (FAIR) Study: a 9 year mixed methods longitudinal study of imprisoned fathers, their partners and their children. Publications in progress include a methodological paper exploring contextual factors in longitudinal retention, and a paper exploring the relationship between imprisonment and post-release outcomes for families in which there is familial violence.

In 2019, I began my PhD with the Prisons Research Centre, looking at how psychology is practiced in prisons. I am especially interested in the social and cultural features of prison-based psychology, how psychologists navigate the complex moral landscape of prison, and how psychologists’ notions of their legitimacy and ‘moral selves’ influence their work with prisoners. 

I am also interested in prisoners' and prison staff's experiences of 'psy' influenced practices, including risk assessment, treatment programmes, psychological consultancy and rehabilitative culture practices, particularly for those serving (and working with those who are serving) indeterminate sentences.