About
Dr. Maria Adams is an Associate Professor in Criminology and Programme Director for the MSc in Criminology and Social Research Methods at the University of Surrey. Her research focuses on prison systems, families of prisoners, and qualitative methodologies in carceral settings. She holds a PhD (2017) from the University of Leicester, with earlier degrees from the University of Leicester and City University.
Her work explores prison food policies, gender disparities in incarceration, and the impacts of youth imprisonment on families. Notable projects include Food in Women’s Prisons and a co-authored book Connection Rather Than Output (2024). She also co-edited The Impact of Youth Imprisonment on the Lives of Parents and contributed to Beyond Porridge: Dishes from Inside Women's Prisons, a cookbook reflecting prisoners’ culinary creativity.
Teaching includes modules like 'Punishment and Society' and 'Prisons and Prisoners.' Supervision focuses on penology, prison culture, and incarceration effects. Her research emphasizes marginalized voices, particularly BME communities and families affected by imprisonment.
