Dr Matthew Millings
School of Justice Studies
Faculty of Arts Professional and Social Studies
Email: M.N.Millings@ljmu.ac.uk
Telephone: 0151 231 3838
Rehabilitating Probation Project Website
ORCID
Matthew Millings is a Reader in Criminal Justice in the School of Justice Studies. During his time at LJMU Matthew has had course leadership responsibilities of the MA Criminal Justice programme(s), the MA/Postgraduate Diploma in Evidence-Informed Practice, module leadership and/or teaching involvement across a range of modules at undergraduate and postgraduate levels and supported 7 PhD students through to completion. Matthew's research interests concern 1) the structure and delivery of multi-agency working within criminal justice; 2) organisational change, innovation, and reform within criminal justice; and 3) exploring and developing the role of research in informing criminal justice policy and practice.
As Principal Investigator, Matthew has recently (2021-2025) led a three-year ESRC funded project titled ‘Rehabilitating Probation: Rebuilding culture, identify and legitimacy in a reformed public service’ (Ref ES/W001101/1). The project captured the experiences and consequences of the reunification of probation services in England and Wales in 2021 at local, regional and national levels; and from a range of perspectives, both internal and external to the probation service, see project website here - https://rehabilitating-probation.org.uk/. The study builds upon a previous ESRC-funded study in 2014-15, that Matthew led as Principal Investigator, which examined the experiences of probation staff in one case study area as they transitioned from public to private sector employment as the Transforming Rehabilitation Reform programme created a mixed economy of probation service provision (Ref ES/M000028/1).
Matthew has on-going and recent experience working as a Co-Investigator on projects concerned with the operation and impact of the work of multi-agency Violence Reduction Units in reducing victimisation and promoting public safety; on an EU funded project that examined the challenges and potential of transforming innovative criminal justice practice in three European jurisdictions; and research into the innovation practice of the North Liverpool Community Justice Centre. Between 2015-2017 Matthew worked, on secondment, as the Senior Research Fellow and Project Manager on a joint College of Policing and HEFCE funded Police Knowledge Partnership between LJMU, the Office of the Merseyside Police and Crime Commissioner and Merseyside Police.
Degrees
2009, Keele University, United Kingdom, PhD, Criminology
2001, University of Hull, United Kingdom, MA, Criminology
1999, University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, BA (with first-class honours), Criminology and Social Policy
Academic appointments
Reader in Criminal Justice, School of Justice Studies, Liverpool John Moores University, 2019 - present
Senior Lecturer in Criminal Justice, School of Law, Liverpool John Moores University, 2006 - 2019
Temporary Lecturer in Criminology, Department of Criminology, Keele University, 2004 - 2005
Highlighted publications
Millings M, Burke L, Annison H, Carr N, Robinson G, Surridge E. 2025. Indifference, resistance, possibility: Probation staff perspectives on the introduction of Professional Registration Probation Journal, DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Robinson G, Annison H, Burke L, Carr N, Millings M, Surridge E. 2025. Anchors Through Change: Exploring Identity Work in the Unified Probation Service for England & Wales British Journal of Criminology, DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Millings M, Burke L, Annison H, Carr N, Robinson G, Surridge E. 2025. A fork in the road: Probation unification in England and Wales two years on Probation Journal, :1-18 DOI Publisher Url Public Url
Robinson G, Annison H, Burke L, Carr N, Millings M, Surridge E. 2023. Whose confidence? Regional leaders’ perspectives on building confidence in a reconfigured probation service Criminology & Criminal Justice, DOI Publisher Url Public Url
Annison H, Burke L, Carr N, Millings M, Robinson G, Surridge E. 2023. Making Good?: A Study of How Senior Penal Policy Makers Narrate Policy Reversal The British Journal of Criminology: An International Review of Crime and Society, DOI Publisher Url Public Url
Millings M, Burke L, Annison H, Carr N, Robinson G, Surridge E. 2023. A necessary but painful journey: Experiences of unification in a probation service region Probation Journal, DOI Publisher Url Public Url
Wells H, Millings M. 2019. Scrutinising the appeal of volunteer Community Speedwatch to policing leaders in England and Wales: Resources, responsivity and responsibilisation Policing and Society, 29 :376-391 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Millings M, Taylor S, Burke L, Ragonese E. 2019. Through the Gate: the implementation, management and delivery of resettlement service provision for short-term prisoners. Probation Journal, 66 :77-95 DOI Publisher Url Public Url
Millings M, Burke L, Robinson G. 2019. Lost in Transition? The personal and professional challenges for probation leaders engaged in delivering public sector reform Probation Journal, 66 :60-76 DOI Publisher Url Public Url
Taylor S, Burke L, Millings M, Ragonese E. 2017. Transforming Rehabilitation during a penal crisis: A case study of Through the Gate services in a resettlement prison in England and Wales European Journal of Probation, 9 :115-131 DOI Publisher Url Public Url
Burke L, Millings M, Robinson G. 2017. Probation migration(s): Examining occupational culture in a turbulent field Criminology and Criminal Justice, 17 :192-208 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Robinson G, Burke L, Millings M. 2017. Probation, privatisation and legitimacy Howard Journal of Crime and Justice, 56 :137-157 DOI Publisher Url Public Url
Robinson G, Burke L, Millings M. 2016. Criminal Justice Identities in Transition: The Case of Devolved Probation Services in England and Wales British Journal of Criminology, 56 :161-178 DOI Author Url Publisher Url
Millings M. 2013. Policing British Asian Identities: The Enduring Role of the Police in Young British Asian Men's Situated Negotiation of Identity and Belonging British Journal of Criminology, 53 :1075-1092 DOI Author Url Publisher Url
Mair G, Millings MN. 2011. Doing Justice Locally: The North Liverpool Community Justice Centre Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Journal article
Millings M, Burke L, Annison H, Carr N, Robinson G, Surridge E. 2025. Indifference, resistance, possibility: Probation staff perspectives on the introduction of Professional Registration Probation Journal, DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Robinson G, Annison H, Burke L, Carr N, Millings M, Surridge E. 2025. Anchors Through Change: Exploring Identity Work in the Unified Probation Service for England & Wales British Journal of Criminology, DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Millings M, Burke L, Annison H, Carr N, Robinson G, Surridge E. 2025. A fork in the road: Probation unification in England and Wales two years on Probation Journal, :1-18 DOI Publisher Url Public Url
Robinson G, Annison H, Burke L, Carr N, Millings M, Surridge E. 2023. Whose confidence? Regional leaders’ perspectives on building confidence in a reconfigured probation service Criminology & Criminal Justice, DOI Publisher Url Public Url
Annison H, Burke L, Carr N, Millings M, Robinson G, Surridge E. 2023. Making Good?: A Study of How Senior Penal Policy Makers Narrate Policy Reversal The British Journal of Criminology: An International Review of Crime and Society, DOI Publisher Url Public Url
Millings M, Burke L, Annison H, Carr N, Robinson G, Surridge E. 2023. A necessary but painful journey: Experiences of unification in a probation service region Probation Journal, DOI Publisher Url Public Url
Burke L, Millings MN, Taylor S, Ragonese EL. 2020. Transforming rehabilitation, emotional labour and contract delivery: A case study of a voluntary sector provider in an English resettlement prison International Journal of Law ,Crime and Justice, DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Wells H, Millings M. 2019. Scrutinising the appeal of volunteer Community Speedwatch to policing leaders in England and Wales: Resources, responsivity and responsibilisation Policing and Society, 29 :376-391 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Millings M, Taylor S, Burke L, Ragonese E. 2019. Through the Gate: the implementation, management and delivery of resettlement service provision for short-term prisoners. Probation Journal, 66 :77-95 DOI Publisher Url Public Url
Millings M, Burke L, Robinson G. 2019. Lost in Transition? The personal and professional challenges for probation leaders engaged in delivering public sector reform Probation Journal, 66 :60-76 DOI Publisher Url Public Url
Taylor S, Burke L, Millings M, Ragonese E. 2017. Transforming Rehabilitation during a penal crisis: A case study of Through the Gate services in a resettlement prison in England and Wales European Journal of Probation, 9 :115-131 DOI Publisher Url Public Url
Burke L, Millings M, Robinson G. 2017. Probation migration(s): Examining occupational culture in a turbulent field Criminology and Criminal Justice, 17 :192-208 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Robinson G, Burke L, Millings M. 2017. Probation, privatisation and legitimacy Howard Journal of Crime and Justice, 56 :137-157 DOI Publisher Url Public Url
Robinson G, Burke L, Millings M. 2016. Criminal Justice Identities in Transition: The Case of Devolved Probation Services in England and Wales British Journal of Criminology, 56 :161-178 DOI Author Url Publisher Url
Worrall A, Corcoran M, Barrett GA, Beckett Wilson H, Burke L, Millings MN. 2015. Integrated Offender Management: Evaluation research in Merseyside and North Staffordshire Probation Quarterly, :28-30 Publisher Url Public Url
Millings M. 2013. Policing British Asian Identities: The Enduring Role of the Police in Young British Asian Men's Situated Negotiation of Identity and Belonging British Journal of Criminology, 53 :1075-1092 DOI Author Url Publisher Url
Ainslie S, Burke L, Canton R, Cracknell M, Dominey J, Gelsthorpe L, Goodman T, Millings M, Petrillo M, Renehan N, Tidmarsh M, Wong K. The Probation Reset: an academic analysis Probation Quarterly, 32 DOI Publisher Url Public Url
Report
Quigg Z, Harris J, Hearne E, Millings MN, Smith C, Farrugia AM, Nanyangwe M, Timpson H. 2023. Merseyside Violence Reduction Partnership Whole System Evaluation Report: 2022-23 Merseyside Violence Reduction Partnership Whole System Evaluation Report: 2022-23 Publisher Url Public Url
Quigg Z, Millings M, Timpson H, Butler N, Harrison B, McCoy E, Bates R, Bell Z, Wilson C, Lightowlers C. 2022. Merseyside Violence Reduction Partnership Whole System Evaluation Report: 2021-22 Merseyside Violence Reduction Partnership Whole System Evaluation Report: 2021-22 Publisher Url Public Url
Quigg Z, Timpson H, Millings M, Butler N, Lightowlers C, Ashton S-A, Hough J, Bates R. 2021. Merseyside Violence Reduction Partnership 2020-21: Whole System Evaluation Report Publisher Url Public Url
Quigg Z, Timpson H, Millings M, Bates R, McCoy E, Bigland C, Ashton SA, Burton L, Jennifer H, Harrison R, Clarke M, Butler N. 2020. Evaluation of the Merseyside Violence Reduction Partnership 2019-20
Taylor S, Burke L, Millings MN, Ragonese EL. 2018. Through the Gate: the implementation, management and delivery of resettlement service provision for short term prisoners. Final Briefing Report. DOI Public Url
Barrett GA, Beckett Wilson H, Burke L, Millings MN. 2015. Working Together to Reduce Reoffending: Reducing Reoffending Project 2012-2015 Publisher Url Public Url
Barrett GA, Beckett Wilson H, Burke L, Millings MN. 2014. Reducing Reoffending Research Project: Action Learning Set 3 Public Url
Mair G, Millings MN. 2011. Doing Justice Locally: The North Liverpool Community Justice Centre Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Conference publication
Quigg Z, Timpson H, Butler N, Millings M, Harrison R. 2021. VIOLENCE REDUCTION UNITS: PUBLIC HEALTH APPROACH TO PREVENTING VIOLENCE (ENGLAND AND WALES) INJURY PREVENTION, 27 :A59-A60 DOI Author Url Publisher Url
Chapters
Millings M, Burke L, Robinson G. 2019. The ‘Transforming Rehabilitation’ agenda in England and Wales The Routledge Companion to Rehabilitative Work in Criminal Justice :141-152 Routledge DOI Publisher Url
Burke L, Millings M, Robinson G. 2017. Is constructive practice still possible in a competitive environment? Findings from a case study of a community rehabilitation company in England and Wales Evidence-Based Skills in Criminal Justice :57-78 Policy Press 9781447332961 DOI Publisher Url
Mair G, Millings M. 2010. Arrest Referral and Drug Testing Hucklesby A, Wincup E. Drug Interventions in Criminal Justice :84-109 McGraw-Hill Education (UK). Maidenhead 9780335239726
Highlighted activities
Research Grants Awarded:
Duration of research project: January 2022-December 2024, Grant value (£): 704,043, ESRC, Research Team; Principal Investigator - Matthew Millings (LJMU); Co-Investigators - Lol Burke (LJMU); Gwen Robinson (University of Sheffield); Nicola Carr (University of Nottingham); Harry Annison (University of Southampton), Rehabilitating Probation: Rebuilding culture, identity and legitimacy in a reformed public service (Ref ES/W001101/01). 2021
Duration of research project: February 2014-November 2015, Grant value (£): 146,057, ESRC, Research Team; Principal Investigator - Matthew Millings (LJMU); Co-Investigators - Lol Burke (LJMU) and Gwen Robinson (University of Sheffield), Devolving Probation Services: An ethnographic study of the implementation of the Transforming Rehabilitation agenda (Ref ES/M000028/1). 2014
Duration of research project: 11 months, Grant value (£): 3,430, British Academy, The enduring role of the police in young British Asian men's situated negotiation of identity and belonging. 2012
Professional activities
Media Coverage:
ESRC-funded Rehabilitating Probation Project featured on Prison Radio Associations' 'The Secret Life of Prisons' podcast series 2024
www.cep-probation.org (opens in a new tab)
pod.link (opens in a new tab)
Napo Probation Reunification Webinar Series (opens in a new tab) 2021
Research Grants Awarded:
Duration of research project: January 2022-December 2024, Grant value (£): 704,043, ESRC, Research Team; Principal Investigator - Matthew Millings (LJMU); Co-Investigators - Lol Burke (LJMU); Gwen Robinson (University of Sheffield); Nicola Carr (University of Nottingham); Harry Annison (University of Southampton), Rehabilitating Probation: Rebuilding culture, identity and legitimacy in a reformed public service (Ref ES/W001101/01). 2021
Duration of research project: December 2019-March 2021, Grant value (£): £30,000, Lancashire Violence Reduction Unit, Quigg, Z. (LJMU), Millings, M. (LJMU), Timpson, H. (LJMU), McManus, M. (LJMU), McCoy, E. (LJMU), Butler, N. (LJMU), Evaluation of the Lancashire Knife Crime and Violence Reduction Unit work programme. 2019
Grant value (£): 14,500, Liverpool John Moores Univeristy Quality Research Fund, Stuart Taylor, Lol Burke, Matthew Millings, Ester Ragonese (all LJMU), A study of the extent to which the Transforming Rehabilitation agenda-led emphasis on resettlement is consumed by prisoners and embedded into the organizational working culture of the staff.. 2016
Duration of research project: February 2014-November 2015, Grant value (£): 146,057, ESRC, Research Team; Principal Investigator - Matthew Millings (LJMU); Co-Investigators - Lol Burke (LJMU) and Gwen Robinson (University of Sheffield), Devolving Probation Services: An ethnographic study of the implementation of the Transforming Rehabilitation agenda (Ref ES/M000028/1). 2014
Duration of research project: 3 years, Grant value (£): 345,000, European Commission, Giles Barrett; Helen Beckett Wilson, Lol Burke, Matthew Millings (all LJMU), Reducing Reoffending in the European Union. 2012
Duration of research project: 11 months, Grant value (£): 3,430, British Academy, The enduring role of the police in young British Asian men's situated negotiation of identity and belonging. 2012
Duration of research project: 11 months, Grant value (£): 8,000, Bowland Charitable Trust (and Centre for Criminal Justice Studies), Research Team - George Mair (Liverpool Hope University) and Matthew Millings (LJMU), Examining Innovation at the North Liverpool Community Justice Centre. 2011
Conference presentation:
Oral presentation, Annual Meeting of the European Society of Criminology, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Through the Gate: the implementation, management and delivery of resettlement service provision for short-term prisoners (with Stuart Taylor, Lol Burke and Ester Ragonese). 2018
Oral presentation, Annual Meeting of the European Society of Criminology, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovinaa, Lost in Transition? The personal and professional challenges for probation leaders engaged in delivering public sector reform (wth Lol Burke and Gwen Robinson). 2018
Oral presentation, Leeds Open Data Institute, The N8 Police Research Partnership: Mobilising Data to Inform Policing Research and Practice, Embedding evidence-based practice in public protection and crime prevention: A multi-disciplinary approach. 2017
Oral presentation, College of Policing, Ryton, The College of Policing National Showcase of the Police Knowledge Fund Project, The Merseyside Police Knowledge Fund Collaboration. 2017
Oral presentation, New Orleans, Annual Meeting of the American Society of Criminology, Probation Leaders Experience of ImplementingTransforming Rehabiliation Reform. 2016
Oral presentation, New Orleans, Annual Meeting of the American Society of Criminology, Embedding Evidence Based Practice in Public Protection and Crime Prevention. 2016
Poster presentation, Ryton, College of Policing, College of Policing Research Showcase Event, Embedding Practitioner-Academic Collaborative Research Partnerhsips in Practice. 2016
Oral presentation, EU COST Action on Offender Supervision in Europe Final International Conference, Free University of Brussels, Belgium, Probation in the public and private sectors: the case of England & Wales (with Lol Buke and Gwen Robinson as Invited Keynote speakers). 2016
Oral presentation, Probation Leaders' Workshop to engage with findings from ESRC 'Devolving Probation Services' Project, LJMU, Devolving Probation Services - Workshop on Probation Leaders' assessment of the research (wth Lol Burke and Gwen Robinson). 2015
Oral presentation, EU funded Reducing Reoffending End of Project Conference, Hilton Hotel, Liverpool, Reducing Reoffending in the EU: Emerging Lessons for the Research (with Giles Barrett, Lol Burke and Helen Beckett Wilson). 2015
Oral presentation, Annual Meeting of the European Society of Criminology, Porto, Portugal, Becoming a CRC: Experiencing Transforming Rehabilitation in England and Wales (with Lol Burke and Gwen Robinson). 2015
Oral presentation, EU Reducing Reoffending Project Workshop, The Hague, Scrutinising Data to Gauge Intervention Impact. 2015
Oral presentation, European Society of Criminology Working Group on Community Sanctions and Measures, Annual Seminar, School of Law, University of Sheffield, Probation identities in transition: a case study in one CRC (with Gwen Robinson and Lol Burke). 2015
Oral presentation, Annual Meeting of the European Society of Criminology, Prague, Czech Republic, The Politics and Process of Sharing Criminal Justice Policy across EU partners (with Lol Burke). 2014
Symposium, International Symposium on Specialist Courts and Therapeutic Jurisprudence, Balliol College, University of Oxford, Doing Justice Locally: The North Liverpool Community Justice Centre. 2012
Oral presentation, Annual Meeting of the British Society of Criminology, University of Northumbria, Doing justice differently, doing justice locally, but doing justice better?: Assessing the North Liverpool Community Justice Centre’s ability to deliver the Community Justice Ideal. 2011
Oral presentation, Magistrate's Association Seminar Series, Keele University, Lessons from the North Liverpool Community Centre in Innovating Problem-Solving Justice. 2011
Oral presentation, Annual Meeting of the European Society of Criminology, Liege, Belgium, Doing Justice Locally: Reflecion on Innovation at a Problem Solving Court in England (with George Mair). 2010
Oral presentation, Annual Meeting of the British Society of Criminology, University of Leicester, Policing British Asian Identities. 2010
External PGR examinations performed:
PhD, University of Central Lancashire, Exploring the Behaviour of Foraging Burglary Offenders and Predictive Police Interventions to Prevent and Reduce their Offending. 2018
PhD, University of Central Lancashire, Protecting Vulnerable People: An Exploration of the Risk Factors and Processes Associated with Lancashire’s Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hubs. 2017
PhD, University of Leicester, Police-Faith Relations: Perceptions, Experiences and Challenges. 2017
Award:
Merseyside Police, Chief Officer's Commendation (September 2017) - 'For professionalism and commitment to supporting the development of police officers and staff through evidence based research thus creating a more efficient and effective service for the communities of Merseyside’. 2017
British Society of Criminology's Policing Network's Paper of the Year 2014, http://www.britsoccrim.org/new/?q=node/12. 2014
Teaching qualification:
Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. 2015