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What is the British Society of Criminology?
The British Society of Criminology (BSC) is a UK-based membership organisation that promotes the interests and knowledge of people working in or studying criminology. Its stated scope covers academic and professional work, teaching, research and public education about crime, criminal behaviour and the UK criminal justice system. It has existed for 60 years and draws members from the UK and overseas.
What it offers
- Membership benefits: networking opportunities, funding, awards, and subscriptions to its official journal, Criminology & Criminal Justice, plus the British Journal of Criminology.
- Events: research network webinars and other events listed on its events page; a Green Criminology Research Network webinar is an example from its news feed.
- Jobs: a jobs page carrying criminology vacancies, such as a Senior Lecturer post at Liverpool Hope University.
- Blog and news: research-led posts, including work on anti-racist, whole-system pre-court diversion in Wales, and regular book draws (for example, a title on autism, criminal defence and access to justice).
Who it is for
It suits criminology academics, students, researchers, and practitioners in policing, courts, prisons, probation and related public services who want a professional home, sector news and a route to publishing and events. It is less useful if you need legal advice, victim support or case-specific help; it is a scholarly and professional body rather than a service provider.
How to decide
If your main need is journal access and a UK criminology network, membership is the direct route. If you are exploring the field first, start with the blog, news and events pages to see whether the topics and community match your interests. Visit British Society of Criminology and check the membership page against what you actually want: publications, funding, awards or events.
How do I join the British Society of Criminology and what benefits does membership include?
Joining the British Society of Criminology (BSC) is done through its Membership page, where you can find the current categories and application process. The BSC describes itself as a 60-year-old society for academic and professional people involved in work, teaching, research or public education about crime, criminal behaviour and criminal justice in the UK, with a membership base in the UK and overseas.
What membership includes
According to the BSC, membership benefits include:
- Networking opportunities
- Funding and awards
- A personal subscription to Criminology & Criminal Justice
- A subscription to the British Journal of Criminology
- Access to the members' area, which includes items such as book draws
The society also runs events, research networks and job listings, and publishes a blog. These are part of its wider activities, so if you are deciding whether to join, check whether the event or network relevant to you is open to members only or to the public.
Who it suits
Membership is likely to be most useful if you are:
- A criminology academic or student who wants journals, conferences and research networks
- A practitioner in policing, prisons, probation, youth justice or related fields
- Someone working in policy, public education or research on crime and justice
If you mainly want occasional news or blog posts, the public pages may be enough. If you want the journals, funding, awards and member events, joining is the more direct route.
Start at the BSC's Membership page at British Society of Criminology and compare the categories before applying.
Which journals are included with BSC membership?
BSC membership includes a personal subscription to two journals: Criminology & Criminal Justice, the Society's official journal, and the British Journal of Criminology.
If you're weighing up joining, treat the journal access as one benefit among several. The same membership also covers networking, funding and awards, and there's a members' area with extras such as book draws. For a criminology lecturer or researcher who would otherwise pay for personal access to both titles, that combination can be the deciding factor; for a practitioner mainly interested in events or the jobs board, the journals may matter less.
Next step: check the Membership page on British Society of Criminology for the current subscription terms, since personal subscription arrangements can change.
What events and research networks does the BSC run for criminologists?
The British Society of Criminology runs events and research networks aimed at both academic and professional criminologists, with a mix of webinars, conferences and specialist group activity. Its page evidence points to a Green Criminology Research Network webinar as an example of network-led programming, and notes that full event information sits on an Events page.
Events
- Webinars organised by research networks, such as the Green Criminology Research Network session listed for 30 September 2026.
- A main Events page acting as the central listing for society-wide and network events.
- Jobs and news sit alongside events, so the site functions as a hub for professional activity as well as research.
Research networks
- Specialist networks convene members around a research theme; the Green Criminology Research Network is the concrete example given.
- Network activity appears to be member-facing and interdisciplinary, linking academic researchers with practitioners.
What members get
- Networking opportunities, funding and awards.
- A personal subscription to Criminology & Criminal Justice and a subscription to the British Journal of Criminology.
- Access to a members' area, where items such as the monthly book draw are posted.
How to decide whether it fits you If you are a criminologist looking for specialist research communities, start with the Events page and the networks behind each listing. If your interest is green criminology, environmental harm or justice-related research, the Green Criminology Research Network webinar is the most direct entry point. If you are a practitioner rather than a researcher, the events and jobs listings may be more useful than the journal subscriptions.
A practical next step: check the Events page for upcoming network webinars, then look at the Membership page to see whether the journal subscriptions and members' area justify joining. For broader context on criminology in the UK, the British Society of Criminology is the primary source here; comparable learned societies and research councils may also list relevant events.
How can I find criminology jobs or advertise a vacancy through the BSC?
The British Society of Criminology (BSC) runs a dedicated Jobs page where criminology vacancies are listed for its membership and the wider field. From the homepage, look for the Jobs link in the main navigation; the site also flags closing-soon roles in its Latest News section, as it did with a Senior Lecturer in Criminology post at Liverpool Hope University.
H3 Who this suits
- Job seekers: academics, researchers, lecturers and professional practitioners in criminology, criminal justice and related policy work.
- Employers: university departments, research institutes, criminal justice agencies and other organisations wanting to reach a specialist UK and international audience.
H3 How to approach it
- Browse the Jobs page directly for current openings and closing dates.
- Check the Latest News area, which sometimes highlights imminent deadlines.
- If you want alerts, funding and awards alongside job listings, membership is the route the BSC promotes; it also includes journal subscriptions and networking.
- To advertise, use the contact details published on the site and ask about listing formats, deadlines and any member/non-member terms, since these are not spelled out in the homepage text.
H3 Practical next step Before advertising, decide whether you need a UK-only or international reach. The BSC's membership is based in the UK and overseas, so it can work well for roles with a British criminal justice focus, while broader international posts may need additional outlets such as jobs.ac.uk for academic vacancies or The Guardian for public-sector and charity roles. For criminology-specific academic networks, European Society of Criminology is also worth checking.
For job seekers, set a weekly routine: scan the Jobs page, note closing dates, and tailor applications to the research or teaching emphasis named in each advert.
What funding, awards and book draws does the BSC offer its members?
The British Society of Criminology's member benefits include funding, awards and a recurring book draw, according to its homepage. The page confirms these exist as member benefits but does not itemise every scheme, so treat the specifics below as pointers to verify on the relevant BSC pages.
Funding and awards. The homepage lists "funding, awards" among the benefits of joining, without naming individual grants or prize categories. If you are a member considering an application, the practical step is to check the members' area and the events or news pages for current calls and deadlines, since these change through the year.
Book draw. The BSC runs a monthly book draw for members. The homepage's example is Autism, Criminal Defence and Access to Justice by Roxanna Dehaghani and Tom Smith (Routledge), with a closing date of 30 September and details in the members' area. This suggests a low-effort perk: you enter, and the prize is a criminology title rather than cash.
Who benefits most. Funding and awards matter most to postgraduate researchers, early-career academics and practitioners presenting or running research activity. The book draw suits any member building a personal library, including students and those in professional roles.
Trade-off to weigh. These benefits sit behind membership, and the headline membership draw is the journal subscriptions — Criminology & Criminal Justice and the British Journal of Criminology. If journals are your main need, the funding and book draw are extras; if you rely on small grants or prize recognition, confirm the current offer before joining.
For an authoritative overview of the discipline body itself, see British Society of Criminology.
London, England, United Kingdom
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