Hannah Hammond

Hannah Hammond is a part-time Teaching Fellow in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of Portsmouth, Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences. She is a Chartered Psychologist with a PhD from Royal Holloway, University of London, and an Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Her work intersects criminology, psychology, and public health, with a focus on rehabilitation through sport.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Male prisoners' motivation to engage in exercise as a means of promoting physical and mental well-being, Royal Holloway University of London (2018)
• M.Sc. in Forensic Psychology, University of Surrey (2014)
• Associate Fellow, Higher Education Academy (2016)

Her research explores the use of sport in prisons to promote health and desistance from crime, particularly among marginalized youth. She investigates motivational theories like Self-Determination Theory and examines how prison cultures influence male prisoners’ engagement in exercise. Her work also delves into gender dynamics, especially sporting masculinities, and how sport can reduce ethnic disproportionality in the justice system.

The most recent articles show a consistent focus on prisoner well-being, exercise motivation, and the social impact of sports programs. Her 2024 publications analyze healthy prison cultures and the application of psychological theories to increase physical activity among inmates, building on earlier evaluations of the Cell Workout Workshops.

Scientific Awards:

• Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy

Dr Hammond has served as a dissertation supervisor at Royal Holloway and is currently active in advising and research. She led the monitoring and evaluation of the Levelling the Playing Field project, a 4-year pilot using sport to address disparities among ethnic minority youth in sport and justice. She also contributes to policy through her role on the Violence Reduction Unit/PCC Sport, Youth Crime and Serious Violence Prevention Board and has spoken in parliament about her findings.

She is involved in research networks and has presented at academic events such as the ICJS Virtual Symposium. Her work has been referenced in policy documents and discussed on social media platforms, indicating real-world impact.