Reports & Publications
The following provides details of publications arising from Matrix and MHB official reports.
Finding a Clearer Path
June 2010
The Evaluation of the Pathways to Work Programme for Cancer Survivors has now been launched, click here to access it.
Is custody an effective sentencing option for the UK?
July 2009
Kevin Marsh (Head of Economics at Matrix), Rashmi Sarmah and Chris Fox (Manchester Metropolitan University) wrote a paper on the effectiveness of custody as a sentencing option which was published in the June edition of the Probation Journal. You can read a summary below and download the report here. read more »
Economic analysis of drug transaction ‘cycles’ described by incarcerated UK drug dealers
February 2009
Matrix provided the data for a study on drug distribution. The results have been published in a paper titled Economic analysis of drug transaction ‘cycles’ described by incarcerated UK drug dealers.
How illegal drugs enter an island country
February 2009
Matrix provided the data for a study on drug smuggling. The results have been published in a paper titled How illegal drugs enter an island country: insights from interviews with incarcerated smugglers.
Do You Get What You Pay for?
January 2009
Kevin Marsh, Head of Economics at Matrix, has recently had a paper published in The Howard Journal of Criminal Justice titled Do You Get What You Pay for? Assessing the Use of Prison from an Economic Perspective. The paper assesses the relative economic costs and benefits of alternative sentences.
The application of Directive 2004/80/EC relating to compensation to crime victims
December 2008
This study was commissioned by the European Commission’s Directorate-General: Justice, Freedom and Security. The work was carried out by a research team from Matrix Insight, in association with Professor David Miers acting as an expert independent adviser.
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Expressing his satisfaction, Vice-President Jacques Barrot said “Compensation for victims of crime in the EU is an important objective in the creation of an area of justice, freedom and security. I am delighted that this report shows that Directive 2004/80 has made it possible to set up a system of cooperation that will make it easier for victims to gain access to fair and appropriate compensation, regardless of where the crime was committed in the EU.” Click here to read more.
Business views of organised crime
December 2008
Matt Hopkins and John Burrows recently wrote a report with Nick Tilley and Adam Edwards titled Business views of organised crime, a Home Office Research Report 10.
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The report develops a methodological approach to measure the extent and impact of organised crime against small businesses. This involved conducting over 400 interviews with business in three English cities. The links below will take you to the report and accompanying documents.
The Economic Case For and Against Prison
November 2008
The Monument Trust, the LankellyChase Foundation, and the Bromley Trust commissioned Matrix Knowledge Group to undertake research to inform the debate on sentencing options in the UK. The aim of the research was to collect evidence to outline the economic arguments for and against prison interventions and their alternatives, thereby answering the question: Are prison sentences really a cost-beneficial way of reducing offending behaviour in those populations who are at risk of further offending?
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- The published report has been updated to include new findings based on the inclusion of new research studies and analysis. The second edition can be downloaded here.
- The original research findings are available to read in the first edition of the published report.
- The technical appendix for the report are available here and you can download the original technical appendix here
- The press release is available here
- The NOMS (National Offender Management Service) February 2008 bulletin Academy for Justice Commissioning wrote an article on the report
If you have any questions about this research, please get in contact with Maxine Rossbotham on +44 (0)20 7614 0529 or email hidden; JavaScript is required.
Evaluation of the victims’ advocate
October 2008
In October 2006 the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) commissioned BMRB Social Research, Matrix
Knowledge Group and Paul Rock of the London School of Economics (LSE) to evaluate the
victims’ advocate scheme pilots. This report presents the findings of the evaluation.
The aim of the victims’ advocate scheme (VAS) was to explore how the criminal justice
system (CJS) can improve the support and information available to families in murder and
manslaughter cases, and to give them a voice in court. It involved three optional elements:
enhanced pre-trial support; a family impact statement; and personal and social legal advice.
The scheme was piloted in five Crown Court centres (Manchester, Birmingham, Cardiff,
Winchester and the Central Criminal Court in London) and ran between 24 April 2006 and
23 April 2008.
Dedicated Drug Court Pilots – A Process Report
April 2008
Matrix has produced an independent process evaluation of the Dedicated drug court pilots in England and Wales for the Ministry of Justice.
In December 2005, the then Department of Constitutional Affairs announced a commitment to pilot Dedicated Drug Courts as part of the government’s agenda to reduce drug-related crime.
The illicit drug trade in the United Kingdom
February 2008
The Home Office commissioned Matrix Knowledge Group to undertake research into the structure of the illicit drug market in the UK. The research combined sociological, economic, and business techniques and interviewed over 200 dealers and traffickers in prison for more than seven years in the largest study of its kind ever undertaken.
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Following the publication of this report Matrix has produced a short, and highly accessible, Practitioner Guide which outlines the key findings from this report.
There has been a large amount of publicity from this report including several newspaper articles:
- The Sunday Times magazine article by Richard Girling – The battle to break Britain’s Mr Bigs.
- The Guardian article by Alan Travis: From foreign fields to UK streets – the anatomy of an £8bn industry.
- You can also access the diagrams used in this article here: How drugs gangs work and Drugs prices and mark-ups.
- The Guardian ‘Comment is Free’ article by Danny Kushlick: A drug on the market.
- The Times article by Richard Ford: How drug gangs are taking a leaf out of legitimate business manual.
- Daily Mail article: High salaries and little risk’ for UK’s £8billion drug barons.
- Daily Express article by Tom Whitehead: Evil drug barons net billions with 16,000% mark-up.
- The Telegraph article by John Steele: Police chiefs u-turn on cannabis classification.
Understanding Drug Markets And How To Influence Them
October 2007
The latest report in the Beckley series looks at the operation of middle-level drug dealers, and how their behaviour is influenced by the activities of the law enforcement agencies. Based on a small number of studies that have been carried out in this field, the report finds that, while it is unlikely that law enforcement action can achieve long term and sustainable reductions in the overall scale of a drug market, properly targeted activities can impact on the nature of the market, and affect the behaviour of dealers and trafficking organisations.
Research, evaluation and shaping organised crime policy
August 2005
Matrix have recently co-authored a paper with Dr. Nicky Millar from the Home Office’s Research Directorate on how research and evaluation can play an important role in helping to develop more effective agency responses to tackling organised crime.
