Dr Kate Gooch's principal research interests are in prisons, youth justice and the criminal law, and the use of qualitative and ethnographic research methods. After completing her doctoral research on the experiences of teenage boys in young offender institutions, she has continued to undertake ethnographic and qualitative research within prisons focusing on issues such as: violence, drugs, the illicit economy, serious and organised crime, physical restraint and the experiences of care leavers in custody. In addition, she has published on the treatment of child suspects in police custody, drawing on her expertise in Criminal Law and Child Law. More recently, Kate completed a longitudinal study of the opening of HMP Berwyn, exploring themes such as leadership, organisational culture and change, organisational resilience, staff recruitment and training, prison building and architecture, and rehabilitative practices. Kate is currently the principal investigator on three projects: 1) an ESRC funded grant entitled ‘The Rehabilitative Prison: An oxymoron or an opportunity to radically reform imprisonment?’ 2) Understanding and preventing prison homicide; 3) An international comparative study of prison violence in England, Australia and New Zealand. As part of her commitment to knowledge exchange and dialogue, she regularly presents her research as part of events organised by HMPPS, the Youth Justice Board, the Ministry of Justice, and Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons. She has also given evidence to the Parliamentary Justice Select Committee and currently sits on the editorial board for the Prison Service Journal and the Incarceration Journal.