Role
Belinda is a Professor of Forensic Psychology. She is Research Director of the Centre of Crime, Offending, Prevention and Engagement (COPE) at Nottingham Trent University. Working with people with lived experience, she seeks to make a difference in the world by designing and undertaking mixed-method research to inform and provide evidence-based practice and policy. Her primary field is sexual offending, but she also has a particular interest in life after prison and the reintegration of people into the community.
Belinda supervises both PhD students and DPsych students, and welcomes applications from people with lived and/or worked experience.
Career overview
Belinda has previously been a Course Leader and Associate Course Leader for undergraduate courses (BPS accredited degrees in Psychology with Criminology, Psychology with Sociology and Psychology with Sports Science), and postgraduate courses (BPS accredited MSc Forensic Psychology and the DPsych (Forensic) at NTU. Previously, Belinda has worked at St Mary’s Hospital, UCL, Imperial College and the University of Sheffield.
Research areas
Belinda works with the HMPPS, Ministry of Justice and the NHS and conducts research at a number of prisons across the UK estate and other secure forensic establishments. Belinda specialises in mixed-method research with a strong service-user voice. She leads the national evaluation for the use of medication to manage problematic sexual arousal and also led the evaluation of the Big Lottery funded Circles of Support and Accountability.
External activity
Unlock
Belinda is a trustee of Unlock (https://unlock.org.uk/), Unlock is a charity founded by a group of former prisoners who wanted to use their experience so that people with convictions would have better opportunities to move on in their lives. We support those who have desisted from crime to live a law-abiding life. We believe people want to lead a positive life and when opportunity unleashes their potential they contribute great things. The ultimate solutions to crime lay in social, not criminal justice. As a charity, we focus on the long-term impact of criminal records on individuals and their families, organisations, communities, and society. Unlock works in partnership, and with volunteers, to achieve positive outcomes at both the individual and systemic level.
Belinda has previously founded two charities: Safer Living Foundation (to support the reintegration of people with sexual convictions) and Trees for Cities (https://www.treesforcities.org/).
Belinda received a Butler Trust Certificate for her work in the rehabilitation of people who have served custodial sentences in 2016, the Robin Corbett Award for Rehabilitation in 2015, the Guardian University Award for Social and Community Impact in 2016, and The Third Sector Charity of the Year in 2019.
Sponsors and collaborators
- HMP Oakwood
- HMP Whatton
- HMP Grendon
- HMP Whitemoor
- HMP Lowdham Grange
- HMP Nottingham
- Rampton High Secure Hospital
- Nottinghamshire Police, East Midlands Probation and MAPPA
- Unlock
- His Majesty's Police and Probation service (HMPPS)
- NHS England
- Ministry of Justice
- HMPPS Chaplaincy
Press expertise
- Sexual crime
- Online sexual offending, including sextortion
- Sexual preoccupation and addiction
- Antilibidinal medication / medication to manage problematic sexual arousal
- Circles of Support and Accountability
- Young people demonstrating sexually harmful behaviour
- Prevention of sexual offending
- Non-offending partners and impact on families of people committing a sexual offence
- Desistance, reintegration and resettlement
- Mandatory life sentences (release, reintegration and support for individuals)
- Religion and Spirituality