Professor Michael Brookes OBE
Professor Michael Brookes was formerly Director of Therapeutic Communities at HMP Grendon where for eleven years he was the clinical lead within this accredited therapeutic community prison.
Prior to this appointment Michael worked as an Area Psychologist, at HMPS HQ and in a secure Youth Treatment Centre. He is a consultant chartered and registered forensic psychologist and was appointed an OBE in 2013 for services to HM Prison Service and the Care of Prisoners. Michael has entered academia at this stage of his career to share his knowledge and experience with students interested in the professional application of forensic psychology.
Areas of Expertise
- Assessment and Treatment of Offenders
- Therapeutic Communities
- Rehabilitation of Offenders
- Personality Disordered Offenders
- Prison Regimes and Effectiveness
- Enabling Environments
- Working in Secure Environments
- Psychological Consultancy
Qualifications
- MSc
- BSc
- Dip Soc LTP
Memberships
- British Psychological Society
Teaching
- PSY7047 The Assessment and Treatment of Offenders
- PSY7048 Victimology
- PSY7052 Dissertation Project
- PSY7055 Forensic and transferable Skills
Research
- Therapeutic prison regimes
- Change management in prison TCs
- Secondary trauma in forensic professionals
- Knife crime
Postgraduate Supervision
- Natalie Bell - Adapting the EssenCES for use in Forensic Intellectual Developmental Disorder Services
- Melindy Brown - An evaluation of the support in the community for released offenders in Staffordshire and the West Midlands, with a particular focus on alcohol-related offending.
- Victoria Hancock Exploring the prevalence of Secondary Traumatic Stress in Youth Justice Officers and the use of Self-Care strategies.
- Sarah Lloyd - Exploring the group decision-making processes of juries
- Laura Riley - Informal support arrangements for those released from custody, who have been convicted of sexual offences against children.
- Sophie Rowe - A critical study using mixed methods of inquiry to explore the contribution of befriending within the desistance process
- Dan Rusu - Life after Life, Beyond the Gate: The Construction and Reconstruction of Identify Amongst Homicide Offenders
Publications
Brookes, M., & Sheik, Z. (2018). The Therapeutic and Regime Benefits of the Gavelliers Club at HMP Grendon. Prison Service Journal, 240, 13-20.
Awan, I., Brookes, M., Powell, M. & Stanwell, S. (2018). Understanding the public perception and satisfaction of a UK police constabulary, Police Practice and Research, Advance online publication retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1080/15614263.2018.1428098
Yardley, E., Wilson, D., Kemp, D & Brookes, M. (2015) Narrative Beyond Prison Gates: Contradiction, Complexity and Reconciliation. International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 59, 159-179. doi:10.1177/0306624X13507042
Brookes, M., Wilson, D., Yardley, E., Rahman, M & Rowe, S. (2015) ‘Faceless: High Profile Murders And Public Recognition’. Crime, Media, Culture, 11, 61–76.
doi: 10.1177/1741659014567969
Brookes, M. (2014) The Annual BCU/HMP Grendon Debate: What Are the Benefits? Prison Service Journal, 216, 50 – 57
Jones, L., Brookes, M. & Shuker, R. (2013). An Exploration of Cultural Sensitivity: The Experiences of Offenders Within a Therapeutic Community Prison Race and Justice, 3, 144-158. doi:10.1177/2153368713483324
Jones, L. & Brookes, M. (2013) Transgender offenders: A literature review. Prison Service Journal, 206, 11-18.
Brookes, M. & Wilson, D. (2013). A Child Killer and Inter-War Penal Policy Tensions. Howard Journal for Criminal Justice, 52, 132-143.
Bennett, J., Bosworth, M. & Brookes, M. (2013). Special Issue Introduction: Race, Power, and Prison-Based Therapy, Race and Justice, 3, 111-113. doi:10.1177/2153368713483321
Brookes, M., Glynn, M. & Wilson, D. (2012) Black men, therapeutic communities and HMP Grendon. Therapeutic Communities: The International Journal of Therapeutic Communities, 33, 16-27.
Wilson, D. & Brookes, M. (2011). Making sense of the sexual sadist between the wars: the case of Harold Jones, Journal of Forensic Psychiatry & Psychology, 22, 535-550.
Brookes, M. & Mandikate, P. (2010). Managing and adapting to increased security and audit requirements within a prison based therapeutic community - the recent experience at HMP Grendon. Therapeutic Communities, 31, 239 – 252.
Brookes, M., Ashton, C & Hollis, A. (2010) Assisting veterans at HMPs Grendon and Springhill Prison Service Journal, 190, 3 - 9.
Brookes, M. (2010). Supporting uniformed officers delivering therapy within a prison therapeutic community for sexual offender. Mental Health Review Journal, 15, 40 – 45.
Brookes, M. (2010). The Impact of Grendon on Changing Lives: Prisoner Perspectives. The Howard Journal, 49, 478–490.
Brookes M. (2010). Introduction to the Special Issue on ‘Fifty Years of HMP Grendon’. The Howard Journal, 49, 425–430.
Brookes, M. (2009). Directing Therapy at HMP Grendon: Learning by Experience. Therapeutic Communities, 30, 292 - 299.
Brookes, M. (2018). Rehabilitating offenders: the enabling environment of forensic therapeutic communities. In G. Akerman, A. Needs & C. Bainbridge (Eds.), Transforming Environments and Rehabilitation (pp.147-162). London: Routledge.
Brookes, M. (2012). Working with Personality Disordered Offenders in P Jones (Ed.). Interventions in Criminal Justice: A handbook for counsellors and therapists working in the criminal justice system. Brighton: Pavilion
Brookes, M. (2012). Recovery within a prison therapeutic community: setting the scene. In D. Alred & G. Drennan (Eds.). Secure Recovery: approaches to recovery in forensic mental health settings. London: Routledge.
Brookes, M. (2010) Putting principles into practice: The Therapeutic Community Regime At HMP Grendon And Its Relationship With The Good Lives Model. In R. Shuker & E. Sullivan (Eds.). Grendon and the emergence of forensic therapeutic communities: Developments in research and practice. London: Wiley.
Work With Industry
- HMP Prison Service
Links and Social Media
Twitter: @ProfMBrookes