Jake Phillips

Jake Phillips is an Associate Professor in Criminology at Sheffield Hallam University, affiliated with the Sheffield Institute of Law and Justice and the Helena Kennedy Centre for International Justice. He joined the university in 2012 after completing his PhD at the University of Cambridge. His research focuses on probation policy-practice intersections, emotional labor, and the privatization of criminal justice systems. He leads modules like Controversies of Punishment and Experiencing Custodial and Community Sanctions, teaching across undergraduate and postgraduate criminology programs.

His funded research includes projects on comparative penal supervision (Leverhulme Trust), parole hearings (SHRIF), youth transitions (Ministry of Justice), and hope in probation (Research England). He serves as Editor of the Probation Journal and Associate Editor of Criminology and Criminal Justice. Phillips co-chairs the European Society of Criminology’s Working Group on Community Sanctions and Measures, and chairs Sheffield Hallam’s Ethics Committee.

Key awards include Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA). His work bridges academia and practice, with collaborations involving HM Inspectorate of Probation and the Parole Board. Current doctoral supervision spans topics like whole-life sentencing and autistic prison experiences.