Personal profile
Research interests
Dr Jack Spicer is a Senior Lecturer in Criminology. He has written extensively on the emergence of 'County Lines' drug supply onto the policy landscape, the practice of 'cuckooing' and the associated responses. This reflects his wider research interests into the functioning of illicit drug markets, the enforcement of drug laws and drug policy reform.
Dr Spicer has published widely in leading journals and presented papers at a range of international conferences. As a member of a number of domestic and international networks, he regularly contributes to practitioner events, public engagement initiatives, parliamentary enquiries and media outputs. In 2019 he was awarded 'Best Early Career Researcher' by the International Society for the Study of Drug Policy. In 2021 he was the recipient of the prestigious Radzinowicz Prize.
His first book entitled Policing County Lines: Responses to Evolving Provincial Drug Markets was published in 2021. His most recent book is entitled Cuckoo Land. He has co-edited an international collection on Drug Law Enforcement, Policing & Harm Reduction. He is also the co-editor of Routledge's 'Drugs, Crime and Society' book series and sits on the editorial board for The Journal of Qualitative Criminal Justice and Criminology.
Teaching interests
Dr Spicer is the Director of Studies responsible for the Criminology MSc degree.
He is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.
At undergraduate level he teaches the compulsory second year unit entitled 'Theorising Crime, Justice & Punishment' and a final year elective unit entitled 'Drugs, Crime & Society'.
At postgraduate level he teaches 'Contemporary Criminological Theory' and 'Criminological Ethnography'.
Dr Spicer is available to supervise doctoral students in his area of research interest.
External positions
Co-Editor of 'Drugs, Crime & Society' book series, Routledge
2020 → …
Editorial Board Member, The Journal of Qualitative Criminal Justice and Criminology
2020 → …
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
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SDG 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
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Chaotic Conceptualisation, Hyper-Chronocentrism and Cautionary Tales: A Cultural Realist Analysis of County Lines
Spicer, J., 3 Aug 2025, (E-pub ahead of print) In: Crime Media Culture.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile24 Downloads (Pure) -
Synthetic cannabinoids in e-cigarettes seized from English schools
Cozier, G. E., Gardner, M., Craft, S., Skumlien, M., Spicer, J., Andrews, R., Power, A., Haines, T., Bowman, R., Manley, A. E., Sunderland, P., Sutcliffe, O. B., Husbands, S. M., Hines, L., Taylor, G., Freeman, T. P., Scott, J. & Pudney, C. R., 26 Jun 2025, (E-pub ahead of print) In: Addiction (Abingdon, England).Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access5 Link opens in a new tab Citations (SciVal) -
Cuckoo Land: The Cuckooing Risk Environment
Spicer, J., 10 Jun 2024, Abingdon, U. K.: Routledge. 114 p.Research output: Book/Report › Book
8 Link opens in a new tab Citations (SciVal) -
Emerging Victims in Contemporary Drugs Policing
Marshall, H., Bacon, M. & Spicer, J., 30 Nov 2024, In: British Journal of Criminology. 64, 6, p. 1292–1309Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile6 Link opens in a new tab Citations (SciVal)70 Downloads (Pure) -
Drug Law Enforcement, Policing and Harm Reduction: Ending the stalemate
Bacon, M. (Editor) & Spicer, J. (Editor), 1 Jan 2023, Abingdon, U. K.: Routledge. 330 p.Research output: Book/Report › Book
Activities
- 1 Public talk, lecture, debate, seminar, workshop
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A cultural realist analysis of County Lines
Spicer, J. (Speaker)
29 Jan 2025Activity: Public, Community and School Engagement › Public talk, lecture, debate, seminar, workshop