Dr Emma Murray

Emma joined ARU's Centre of Excellence for Equity in Uniformed Public Services (CEEUPS) in 2024, while also holding the position of Criminologist in Residence at the Foundation for Art and Creative Technology (FACT), Liverpool.

Prior to joining the Centre, Emma worked as a Reader in Military Veteran Studies in the School of Justice Studies at Liverpool John Moores University.

[email protected]

Connect with Emma on LinkedIn

Background

Emma was awarded a PhD from Keele University in 2016 for a thesis that explored the lived experiences of British military veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts who had been convicted for violence post-deployment. In this work, Emma coined the term Veteranality to understand the various institutions, practices, and discourses that shape veterans' experiences and identities in the justice system.

The focus of Emma's most recent research has been on transdisciplinary knowledge co-production and exchange. Through collaborative approaches, she develops alternative knowledge systems that promote social justice. Drawing upon storytelling and creative expression, Emma works in cross-sector partnerships that foster generative approaches and the mobilisation of creative and democratised knowledge in policy and practice development.

Emma's work is influenced by multiple disciplines (criminology, sociology, criminal justice, international relations, military studies, art and design) and sectors (justice, health, education, defence, third), integrating diverse perspectives to address social inequality.

Research interests

• Knowledge equity
• Social and cultural justice
• Creative and narrative methodologies
• Justice-impacted communities
• Trauma-informed research
• Veterans in the justice system

Qualifications

• PhD in Criminology, Keele University
• MA in Criminal Justice, Liverpool John Moores University
• BA (Hons) Criminal Justice, Liverpool John Moores University

Memberships, editorial boards

• Trustee, Vox Liminis, Scotland
• British Society of Criminology
• International Generative Justice Group
• National Criminal Justice Arts Alliance (NCJAA)
• National Centre for Academic and Cultural Exchange
• Probation Institute
• Howard League for Penal Reform

Research grants, consultancy, knowledge exchange

Current Grants

2024-2028 (Co-Investigator) UKRI Future Leader Fellowship Imagining Possible Futures: Activating Lived Experience in Criminal Justice (£1,286,591) to undertake the first large scale, participatory study of lived-experience criminal justice across the four counties of the UK and Ireland and to innovatively use speculative, artistic practices to amplify previously marginalised voices and facilitate imaginative praxis.

2024-2025 (Academic Consultant) Reducing Harmful Outcomes for Communities and Ex-Armed Services Personnel: A Cross-Sector Knowledge Mobilisation and Action Learning Project in partnership with the Probation Institute (PI) funded by Forces in Mind Trust (£25,408).

Selected recent publications

Murray, E. (2025) 'Military in the Life Course'. In: Broad, R., Turner, E. and Maruna, S. (Eds.) (2025) Bringing Criminological Development Theory to Life: A Critical Exploration of Lived Experience Through and Beyond the Criminal Justice System. Leeds: Emerald Publishing (forthcoming).

Murray, E., Arias, L., Buck, G., Ryan, N. and Ryan, K. (2025) ‘Generative Justice in Hindsight: On Knowing, doing, and sharing participatory arts-based research with criminal justice-impacted communities’. In: McNeill, F., Cocoran, M. and Weaver, B. (Eds.) (2025) Generative Justice. Bristol: Policy Press (forthcoming).

Crean, M. and Murray, E. (2025) 'Transformative by Design: On Power, Participation and Possibility'. In: Caulfield, L. and Gamman, L. (Eds.) (2025) Redesigning Creative Justice: Assessing Rehabilitative, Restorative, and Regenerative Arts Practices for Transformational Change and Innovation within the Criminal Justice System. London: Palgrave MacMillan (forthcoming).

Jackson, W. H., McGowan, W. and Murray, E. (2023) 'Criminological Artivism: Examining the Potential of Collaboration and Coproduction between Socially Engaged Art and Critical Criminology'. In: Canning, V., Martin, G. and Tombs, S. (Eds.) (2023) International Handbook of Activist Criminology. Leeds: Emerald Publishing.

Murray, E., Moorhead, J., Ragonese, E. and Currin, H. (2022) 'Ex-Armed Service Personnel: Journeys to harmful behaviour', report, The Probation Institute.

Murray, E., Moorhead, J., Ragonese, E. and Currin H. (2022) 'Ex-Armed Service Personnel: Journeys to harmful behaviour', creative practitioner resources, The Probation Institute.

Jackson, W. H., Murray, E. and Hayes A. (2020) 'Playing the Game? A criminological account of the making and sharing of Probationary: The Game of Life on Licence', Probation Journal, 67, pp. 375-392.

Lippens, R. and Murray, E. (2020) Representing the Experience of War and Atrocity: Interdisciplinary Explorations in Visual Criminology. London: Palgrave Macmillan.

Taylor, P., Murray, E. and Albertson, K. (Eds.) (2019) Military Past, Civilian Present: International Perspectives of Veterans Experiences of Transition from the Armed Forces. New York: Springer.

Albertson, K., Murray, E. and Taylor, P. (2019) ‘Place, Space, and Identity: The Manifold Experience of Transition In and After the Military’, special issue editorial, Illness, Crisis & Loss, 27(4), pp. 231-234.

Murray, E., Taylor, P. (2019) '‘Soldiering by consent' and military-civil relations: Military transition into the public space of policing', Illness, Crisis & Loss, 27(4), pp. 235-254.

Hayes, A., Jackson, W. H., Murray, E. and Wakeman, S. (2019) 'Playing for Change - Probationary: A Partnership', briefing for the Howard League for Penal Reform.

Barrett, G. A., Marshall, D. and Murray, E. (2018) 'Action Learning Report 2019: A follow-up to the National Evaluation of The Royal British Legion’s Break Services', project report, The Royal British Legion and LJMU.

Barrett, G. A., Murray, E. and Marshall D. J. (2018) 'The Royal British Legion (TRBL) Breaks Services 2017-2018', evaluation report, The Royal British Legion and LJMU.

Barrett, G. A., Murray, E., Marshall, D. J. (2018) 'The National Evaluation of The Royal British Legion (TRBL) Breaks Services 2017-2018 (Executive Summary)', The Royal British Legion and LJMU.

Steele, R., Murray, E., Ragonese, E. and Moorhead, J. (2018) 'Evaluation of the Ex–Forces Action Network (EFAN): A Community Rehabilitation Initiative' report, EFAN and LJMU.

Albertson, K., Albertson, K., Murray, E. and Stevenson, J. (2018) 'The South Yorkshire Armed Forces Covenant Project: Mapping of the Armed Forces Community across the region', report, Sheffield Hallam University and Helena Kennedy Centre for International Justice.

Albertson, K., Banks, K. and Murray E. (2017) 'Military Veteran Offenders: Making sense of developments in the debate to inform service delivery', Prison Service Journal, 234, pp. 23-30.

McGarry, R. and Murray, E. (2017) ‘Beyond Khaki Collared Crime: Situating the Military within Criminology’. In: Goldsmith, A. and Halsey, M. (Eds.) (2017) The Idea of a Military Criminology. Oxford: Hart Publications (by invitation).

Murray, E. (2017) ‘Being a Violent Veteran amid a Criminology of War’ British Society of Criminology Newsletter (by invitation).

Murray, E. (2017) ‘Operation Boomerang: Embodying the War Paradigm’ An British Society of Criminology Newsletter (by invitation).

Murray, E. (2017) ‘Militarism’. In Morley, S., Turner, J., Corteen, K. and Taylor, P. (Eds.) (2017) A companion to state power, liberties and rights. Bristol: Policy Press.

Murray, E. (2017) ‘CORPS’. In Morley, S., Turner, J., Corteen, K. and Taylor, P. (Eds.) (2017) A companion to state power, liberties and rights. Bristol: Policy Press.

Murray, E. and Ragonese, E. (2017) ‘Armed Forces Communities and Social Isolation: A Rapid Needs Analysis for Service Providers in Cheshire East’, report, The Royal British Legion.

Murray, E. (2016) ''The Violent Veteran' A Governmental Problem in England and Wales'. In: McGarry, R. and Walklate, S. (Eds.) (2016) The Palgrave Handbook of Criminology and War. London: Palgrave Macmillan.

Murray, E. (2016) ‘Criminology and War’. In: Corteen, K. (Ed.) (2016) A Companion to Crime, Harm and Victimisation. Bristol: Policy Press.

Murray, E. (2016) ‘Soldiers and Victimisation’. In: Corteen, K. (Ed.) (2016) A Companion to Crime, Harm and Victimisation. Bristol: Policy Press.

Murray, E. (2015) ‘Criminology and War: Can violent veterans see blurred lines clearly?’. In: Walklate, S. and McGarry, R. (Eds.) (2015) Transgressing the Borders: Criminology and War, Abingdon: Routledge.

Murray, E. (2014) ‘Veteran Offenders in Cheshire: Making Sense of the ‘Noise’', Probation Journal Volume 61(3), pp. 251-264.

Media experience

Examples of public engagement and media

2023: 'Reimagining the Veteran', Liverpool Impact Hub.

2023: 'Art as a Social Agent', FACT public programme.

2022: 'How Can Artworks Influence Decision Making', Framework for Exchange, FACT webinar for Artsformation.

2019: ‘Follow Me: Curate Criminology’, Queens University invited speaker, Criminology Seminar Series.

2018: Probationary Exhibition and Public Programme, Tate Exchange, London.

2018: 'Probationary: The Game of Life on License', Howard League Conference, Keeble College, Oxford.

2018: Crime Bites podcast, invited speaker.

2017: Speaker and Chair: ‘To Serve: Veterans in Prison Programme’ A Conversation between Academic, Curator and Artist, FACT, Liverpool.

2016: 'Reimagining the Veteran' film series.

2016: BBC Radio Merseyside, Roger Phillips Show for Remembrance Sunday.