Matt Tidmarsh

My research interests are interdisciplinary, drawing from criminology, sociology, and social policy, with a particular focus on the probation service. My current research explores probation staff experiences of Transforming Rehabilitation, a programme of reforms implemented in 2014 which resulted in the majority of probation services being managed by the private sector. This synthesises the literature on the probation service, the impact of neoliberalism on public services and the sociology of the professions, offering a (Foucauldian) critique of how managerialism and marketisation have changed what it means to be a criminal justice professional.

I joined Hertfordshire Law School after submitting my PhD in Criminal Justice Studies at the School of Law, University of Leeds. I also hold an MSc in Criminology (Distinction) and a BA (Hons) in Sociology (Upper Second Class), both awarded by Leeds Beckett University. 

I currently teach on three modules: History of Crime in Society, Sociological Theories of Crime, and Punishment and Society. During my time as a Graduate Teaching Assistant at the University of Leeds, I taught on topics spanning penology, criminal justice processes, crime and social inequalities, and social research methods.