Dominic Pearson

Dr. Dominic Pearson is an Associate Professor in Clinical Research and Practice in Forensic Psychology at the University of Portsmouth, affiliated with the School of Psychology, Sport and Health Sciences and the International Centre for Research in Forensic Psychology. He leads the MSc Forensic Psychology program and supervises research at BSc, MSc, D.Psy, and Ph.D. levels. A Registered Forensic Psychologist and Chartered Psychologist with BPS Fellowship (FBPsS), Pearson previously worked as a psychologist with the UK Probation Service, focusing on courts, prisons, and community settings.

Research Interests

• Bridging research/practice gaps in forensic psychology
• Community-oriented rehabilitation of forensic clients
• Risk management in open prison environments
• Preventing intimate partner violence and deliberate firesetting
• Digital technology's impact on prisoner behavior
• Effective prison-based programs for reducing recidivism

Academic Contributions include 33 research outputs, 4 datasets, 5 projects, and 6 prizes. His work spans restorative justice, partner abuse interventions, and offender monitoring systems. Key recent publications (2023-2025) focus on restorative justice barriers, risk management in open prisons, and behavioral monitoring systems. His 2022 meta-analysis on recidivism predictors and program evaluations for firesetting prevention highlight evidence-based approaches.

Scientific Awards

• BPS Fellowship (FBPsS)

Teaching & Supervision: Pearson supervises students across academic levels and contributes to curriculum development. His 2019-2022 projects include the Identify-Assess, Support, Challenge, Change domestic abuse initiative in Portsmouth and evaluations of custodial management systems.