Catherine Amelia Appleton

Catherine Amelia Appleton is a Senior Research Fellow at NTNU's Department of Mental Health and Research Associate at the University of Nottingham School of Law. Her research examines 'ultimate penalties' and societal responses to serious crimes, particularly life imprisonment and penal reform. She has received dual 2020 book awards from the European Society of Criminology and American Society of Criminology.

Her publications predominantly address criminal justice policy, human rights frameworks, and comparative penology, with recent work analyzing life sentencing as the modern ultimate penalty. Appleton serves as expert advisor for Amnesty International, UN agencies, and co-directs prisonHEALTH. She was elected to Penal Reform International's Executive Board in 2021.