Background
David Wilson is Professor of Criminology and Director of the Centre for Applied Criminology at the Birmingham City University – one of the university’s “research centres of excellence”.  He is the co-Editor of the prestigious Howard Journal of Criminal Justice, which is produced five times per year.  Prior to taking up his academic appointment in September 1997, David was Senior Policy Advisor to the Prison Reform Trust, and between October 1983-April 1997 he worked as a Prison Governor.

David completed his PhD at Selwyn College Cambridge in 1983, and immediately joined HM Prison Service as Assistant Governor at HMP Wormwood Scrubs.  He worked as a Prison Governor at a variety of establishments, including HMYOIs Huntercombe and Finnamore Wood – where at the age of 29 he was the youngest governing Governor in the country – and at HMPs Grendon and Woodhill.  At HMP Grendon he ran the sex offender treatment programme, and at HMP Woodhill he designed and managed the two specialist units for the 12 most disruptive prisoners in the penal system.  This experience brought him into contact with some of the most notorious criminals in the country.  In 1995 he became Head of Prison Officer Training for England and Wales, and as such was responsible for all training related to riot command, physical education, induction training, and specialist training related to serious incidents.  David represented HM Prison Service in the United States and Northern Ireland, and The Council of Europe in Albania, where he advised the new democratic government of Albania about the setting up of a reformed penal system.

 David’s current research interests include all aspects of penology, the phenomenon of serial murder, and offender profiling.