The Early Career Prison Researchers and International Scholars Organised Network (ECR‑PRISON) exists to connect and support emerging scholars working on prisons and carceral systems around the world. A small organising committee steers the network’s activities, bringing together a mix of research backgrounds, regional experience, and practical skills to keep the network welcoming, responsive, and useful to members.
Meet the members
Megan Davidson, Chair (She/her)
Megan is a President’s Doctoral Scholar in Criminology at the University of Manchester. Her research looks at how prison environments shape women’s mental health and everyday experiences. Using mixed methods, including geospatial analysis and diary-based qualitative work, her doctoral project explores how access to natural spaces in prisons across Canada, England, and Wales relates to self-harm and suicide among incarcerated women. Grounded in critical feminist criminology, her work supports rights-based, person-centred prison design and aims to contribute to more humane, equitable, and health-promoting criminal justice policy.
Em Brenner, Communications Lead (They/them)
Em Brenner is a PhD candidate working within the Chief Scientist Office Scottish Health-Justice Nexus study. Their study analyses the often interconnected barriers and facilitators to managing and maintaining blood-borne virus related healthcare through release from prison and into the community. Using a patchwork qualitative methodology, they incorporate experiences and perspectives of those navigating BBV health care in prison, the community, and those on the cusp of release, as well as the individuals and organisations who work with this population to draw a timeline and identify where significant influences arise and compound on each other as it relates to the pains of re-entry.
Jessica Gallagher (She/her)
Dr Jessica Gallagher is a researcher focusing on the connections between the prison environment and prisoner distress, drawing on Sykes’ and Crewe’s work on deprivation theory. Her PhD focused on self-harm and suicide in male prisoners, making connections between Joiner, Favazza and Klonsky and May to understand how physical prison conditions can influence acts of self-harm and suicide, identifying the relationship between conditions and self-harm and suicide, rather than solely identifying these as related to Mental Health. She is focused on understanding prison conditions, advocating for prison reform and suitable sentencing within England and Wales.
Jessica Glynn (She/her)
Jess is a PhD researcher at the University of Manchester. Her research experience centres around victimology and trauma in forensic contexts. Her PhD research focuses on men in prison who are survivors of sexual abuse. Her research seeks to elaborate on the nature of change that is possible for men in prison who have embarked on trauma-informed therapy. The aim of this research is to illustrate what is required to help prisoners and criminal-justice-involved men navigate the aftermath of sexual victimisation, whilst also contending with the psychological, social, and relational harms that criminalisation and imprisonment have left them with.
Avery Hudman (They/them)
Avery Hudman is a PhD researcher at the University of Strathclyde. Their research examines the stigma of imprisonment and the secrecy that is often used in attempts to manage it. Their project focuses on the perspectives of children who have a family member in prison, and the effects of how, when, and whether they are told about that imprisonment. The aim is to amplify voices that are often hidden in research, policy, and practice, and to make recommendations for practice that can be integrated into prison visitor centres and other organisations working with families of imprisoned people.
What are you most excited about in being part of the organising committee?
“I’m most excited about creating a community where people can share ideas, hopes, resources, and encouragement, so no one has to get through the challenges of this work alone. Being part of the organising committee also gives me the chance to help shape a supportive, collaborative space for researchers across the field.”
“I joined the network because I was excited to see an explicitly prison-focused network formed of ECR’s working nationally and internationally who could offer support, guidance and understanding in this area.”
“As someone who has navigated the surprises and hurdles of obtaining ethics to conduct research in prisons, and later visiting prisons for work, I’m looking forward to fostering a supportive community to share resources and uplift eachother through the early career prison research experience. I think about how helpful it would have been to have a community like this while I was going through that process, and I’m excited to make this possible for others in the same position!”
“Prison research is an emotionally demanding subject of enquiry. I joined this network in the hope that its supportive and welcoming environment will be a place prison researchers can come together to help eachother, whether through the sharing of resources, words of encouragement, or reminders about the importance of our work.”
These reflections capture the heart of the network: a commitment to collaboration, inclusivity, community, and impact. They also underline why the organising committee matters so much — not just as a group guiding events and communications, but as the people helping create a meaningful space for connection and mutual support. The network was established to strengthen research capacity, encourage scholarly dialogue, and build an inclusive global community committed to rigorous and impactful scholarship. The organising committee’s comments bring those aims to life in a personal way, showing how shared experience can shape a more supportive future for prison research.
Why this matters
Prison research can be isolating, especially for researchers navigating ethics, access, fieldwork, and the emotional demands of the topic. A network like this offers something that individual work often cannot: a sense of belonging, practical guidance, and reassurance that others understand the challenges involved. Taken together, these reflections show a committee shaped by both academic commitment and a strong sense of care. Each member brings a distinct perspective, but all are motivated by the same idea: prison research should not be something people have to do in isolation. Through the network, the committee hopes to create a space where emerging scholars and practitioners can exchange knowledge, encourage one another, and contribute to a more connected and collaborative field. Their work helps turn a broad mission into a lived community — one where early career researchers, postdoctoral scholars, academics, and practitioners can connect across borders and build confidence together.
Join us and stay connected
If you would like to meet or join the committee, contribute to the newsletter, or help run activities, we would love to hear from you. Sign up for the newsletter, join our member channels, or use the contact form on the site to say hello. We are building this network together, and your voice matters.
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