Professor David Wilson |
|
Publications
| |
| The murder of five women in late 2006 shocked the nation and kept many of us glued to our TV screens, horrified by the unfolding tragedy. For the quiet town of Ipswich it was fifty days of fear and soul searching, from the disappearance of the first victim to the dramatic arrest of the lead suspect, Steve Wright. Journalist Paul Harrison and Professor of Criminology David Wilson arrived in Ipswich just as the first body was discovered. Their on-the-scene access, and Professor Wilson's first-hand experience as a profiler, meant that they were first to put forward the explosive theory that a serial killer was at large. In Hunting Evil, Harrison and Wilson take the reader to the heart of the story. Both visited the sites where the killer disposed of his victims' bodies; both walked the red light area of Ipswich; and both talked to those closest to the victims. They explore the reasons why someone will kill and kill again, and perhaps most important of all explain how serial killers target the must vulnerable in our society, and what can be done to make our communities safer for everyone. |
|
| Serial Killers looks at all serial murders in Britain from the ‘gay murders’ of Michael Copeland in 1960 to the Ipswich murders of 2006. Throughout, the work follows events from a social and victim-related perspective. With vast experience of working with serial killers behind him and from his studies, criminologist and ex-prison governor David Wilson concludes that we are not all at-risk everyday from what he terms ‘hunting Britons’, rather it is people from a variety of vulnerable groups: the elderly, women involved in prostitution, gay men, runaways, 'throwaways' and children and kids moving from place to place . |
(click to buy direct from Waterside Press)
Serial
Killers: Hunting Britons and Their Victims, 1960 to 2006 |
| Highly commended by reviewers: ‘Lifts the lid on the social, institutional, political and economic contexts that make serial killing possible' John Muncie, Professor of Criminology at The Open University. ‘An interesting and very readable book that usefully reflects on serial homicides in ways which go beyond the usual focus of the clinical characteristics of such offenders. David Wilson paints on a much wider canvas reminding us that the common feature of British serial killing is the vulnerability of the victims. This leads to the . . . message that ‘Britain is inadequate in providing social and economic protection for the poor and vulnerable’. Keith Soothill , Lancaster University. ‘Very well written … tackles the subject … from a fresh perspective… It will undoubtedly stir up a great deal of debate’. Roger Hood, All Souls College, Oxford University. ‘A timely contribution to the literature … perceptive and accessible to a wider audience than that normally addressed in criminological discourse … David Wilson offers a new analysis on how to understand the failure of the police to stop the Ripper killings’. Douglas Sharp, University of Central England. The book covers the following killers' victims: The Ipswich murders of 2006, Peter Sutcliffe (The Yorkshire Ripper), Dennis Nilsen, Harold Shipman, Fred West, Rosemary West, Beverly Allitt, Patrick Mackay, Kenneth Erskine, Colin Ireland, Peter Moore, Michael Copeland, Ian Brady, Myra Hindley, Robert Black, Mark Martin, Donald Neilson, Peter Dinsdale, Hall/Kitto and more murderers who are not included in the definition 'Serial Killer' | |
Death at the Hands of the State Death at the Hands of the State, was published by the Howard League for Penal Reform on 29th April 2005. Death at the Hands of the State considers all deaths in prison custody, including suicide, homicide, and deaths due to medical problems and old age. David argues that the numbers of people dying in prison should lead to an abolition of prison as constituted today, especially when prisons in New York and Scotland have managed to stem rises in deaths. |
|
| You
can read the Introduction to Death at the Hands of the State by clicking here. Further information on the book can be found here.
Journals David Wilson is editor, with Tony Fowles, of the Howard Journal of Criminal Justice, published five times each year by Blackwell Publishing and the Howard League for Penal Reform. [MORE] Previous Books Student Handbook of Criminal Justice & Criminology (with John Muncie); Cavendish 2004. A textbook reference on all aspects of criminal justice and criminology. [MORE] Images of Incarceration (with Sean O'Sullivan); Waterside Press 2004. An examination of the role of prison in films. [MORE] Innocence Betrayed: Paedophiles, the Media & Society (with Jon Silverman); Polity Press; 2002. Here, David explores the role of the media and society in conflating fears about paedophiles. [MORE] What Everyone in Britain Should Know About the Police (with John Ashton & Doug Sharp); Blackstone Press 2001. An introduction to the history, culture and politics of policing. [MORE] What Everyone in Britain Should Know About Crime & Punishment (with John Ashton); Blackstone Press 2001. An introduction to the theories and workings of crime and punishment. [MORE] The Longest Injustice: The Strange Story of Alex Alexandrowicz Waterside Press 1999. The moving account of a man imprisoned for 22 years and whose guilt is questioned. [MORE] The Prison Governor: Theory & Practice (with Shane Bryans); Prison Service Journal 1997. An introduction to the role, history and duties of the prison governor. [MORE] Recent Articles Quality Time with Paedophiles: Child abusers in Canada who have been befriended by groups of volunteers rarely reoffend. Could the same happen here? The Guardian, November 2004. [MORE] Missing the Real Danger to Children: We need to rethink the way we police and prosecute paedophiles. The Guardian, August 2003. [MORE] Punishment that Breeds Crime: A profile of David Wilson from The Guardian, July 2001. [MORE] Recent Research Voices of Desistance: An Ethnographic Evaluation of the C-Far Training Programme (with Prof Julian Killingley), published by the University of Central England; 2004. [READ] Playing the Game: The Experiences of Young Black Men in Custody (with Sharon Moore), published by The Children's Society 2003. [READ] Back to Top | |
