What is the British Society of Criminology?

The British Society of Criminology (BSC) is a UK-based learned society for people involved in criminology — whether in academic work, teaching, research, professional practice, or public education about crime, criminal behaviour, and the criminal justice system. It is aimed at both academics and practitioners, has existed for 60 years, and draws members from the UK and overseas. If you are looking for a professional body to join, a source of criminology events and job listings, or a way to follow current criminological research and debate, the BSC is the relevant organisation.

What the BSC does

Its stated aim is to further the interests and knowledge of people engaged in any aspect of work, teaching, research, or public education about crime, criminal behaviour, and UK criminal justice systems. In practice, the site organises this activity around a few visible areas:

• Membership — a formal join route, with benefits described as networking opportunities, funding, awards, and personal journal subscriptions.
• Events — including research network webinars, such as a BSC Green Criminology Research Network Webinar listed for 30 September 2026.
• News — including member-facing items such as a monthly book draw (for example, a draw for Autism, Criminal Defence and Access to Justice by Roxanna Dehaghani and Tom Smith, Routledge, with a 30 September closing date).
• Jobs — academic and professional criminology vacancies, such as a Senior Lecturer in Criminology post at Liverpool Hope University with a 05 Oct 2026 closing date.
• Blog — current criminological commentary, for example a post by Professor Mark Jones on developing an anti-racist, whole-system model for pre-court diversion in Wales, examining racial disparities in pre-court diversion.

Who it is for

The membership is described as wide-ranging and includes people based both in the UK and overseas. The intended audience is anyone engaged in criminology as a field of work or study — academic researchers, teachers, students, and professionals working in or around criminal justice. You do not need to be based in the UK to be part of it, though the subject focus is on crime and criminal justice in the United Kingdom.

Membership benefits

According to the site, membership includes:

• Networking opportunities
• Funding and awards
• A personal subscription to the Society's official journal, Criminology & Criminal Justice
• A subscription to the British Journal of Criminology

The site directs anyone interested to the Membership page for details. Note that the available material does not state membership fees or whether joining requires an application review, so check the Membership page directly before assuming cost or eligibility.

Organisational status

The BSC is a company limited by guarantee (no. 3515512) and a registered charity (no. 1073154), registered in England & Wales. Its registered address is The Nexus Building, Broadway, Letchworth Garden City, Hertfordshire, SG6 9BL.

When to use the site

The BSC site is the right starting point if you want to:

• Join a criminology professional body or check what membership includes
• Find criminology events, research network webinars, or conferences
• Browse criminology job vacancies and closing dates
• Read current criminology blog posts and news
• Locate the Society's official journals

If you need something outside those areas — for example, legal advice on a criminal justice matter or individual case guidance — this is not that kind of resource.