Graham Smyth

Graham Smyth is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Sociology at Manchester Metropolitan University. He holds academic qualifications including an LLB, MA in Economic & Social Studies, a Certificate of Qualification in Social Work, and a Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice. His career spans 26 years in criminal justice roles, including probation service management, youth offending service leadership, and community safety coordination. He is Programme Leader for the MA in Applied Criminology and supervises a PhD on youth justice.

• Education:
  • Bachelor of Law (LLB)
  • MA Economic & Social Studies
  • Certificate of Qualification in Social Work
  • Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice
• Affiliations:
  • Member of the Higher Education Academy
  • Co-founder of Transport for Sick Ugandan Children (TUSC)

His research focuses on offender rehabilitation, probation systems, youth justice, restorative justice, and crime prevention. Notable projects include evaluations of probation initiatives, resettlement programs, and the Dordrecht Initiative (a precursor to national PPO programs). He has led studies on offender housing pathways, youth offender demographics, and restorative peer panels.

Teaching emphasizes bridging theory and practice through interactive methods, with a focus on criminology placements and practice-oriented MA programs. His work integrates real-world criminal justice experiences into academic frameworks.

Outside academia, he contributes to TUSC, a charity supporting sick Ugandan children, and maintains interests in football, cycling, and performance poetry.