Emma Disley

Research Group Director, Home Affairs and Social Policy, RAND Europe

Cambridge Office

Education

Ph.D. and M.Sc. in criminology, University of Oxford; L.L.B. in law, University of Manchester

One Page Bio

Media Resources

This researcher is available for interviews.

To arrange an interview, contact RAND Europe Media Relations at +44 (1223) 353 329, x2560, or email europeanmedia@rand.org.

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Overview

Emma Disley is director of the Home Affairs and Social Policy programme at RAND Europe. Her research interests include policing and EU law enforcement cooperation, drugs and illicit markets, criminal justice and offending, and serious and organised crime.

Methodologically, Disley specialises in complex evaluation, pan-European studies, qualitative data collection and analysis, and evidence assessment. She holds a Ph.D. in criminology from the University of Oxford and a First Class degree in Law from the University of Manchester. Before working at RAND she was a research assistant at the UK National Policing Improvement Agency.

Research Focus

Recent Projects

National evaluation of Liaison and Diversion services in England
Assessing the economic value of illicit markets in the EU
Evaluation of the EU Agency for Law Enforcement Training (CEPOL)
Study on Alternatives to Coercive Sanctions as Response to Drug Law Offences and Drug-Related Crimes
Paving the Way for Policy Initiatives to Fight Against Organised Crime

Selected Publications

Mike Maguire, Emma Disley, Mark Liddle, and Rosie Meek with Nina Burrowes, Developing a toolkit to measure intermediate outcomes to reduce reoffending, UK Ministry of Justice, 2019

Strang, L., and Disley, E., Violent and antisocial behaviour at football events and strategies to prevent and respond to these behaviours, RAND Corporation (RR-2904-QAT), 2018

Balbirnie, E., Davies, M., Disley, E., Gonzalez Monsalve, E., Hartka, S., Hoorens, S., Kruithof, K., Sacher, K., Taylor. J., Mid-Term Assessment of the EU Drugs Strategy 2013–2020 and Final Evaluation of the Action Plan on Drugs 2013–2016, European Commission, 2017

Kruithof, K., Davies, M. Disley, E., Strang, L., Ito, K, Study on Alternatives to Coercive Sanctions as Response to Drug Law Offences and Drug-Related Crimes, European Commission (RR-1411-EC), 2016

Hafner, M., Taylor, J., Disley, E., Thebes, S., and Barberi, S. and Stepanek, M, The Cost of Non-Europe in the area of Organised Crime and Corruption Annex II – Corruption, European Parliament Research Service (RR-1489-EPIM), 2016

Andrea Di Nicola et al., Study on paving the way for future policy initiatives in the field of fight against organised crime: the effectiveness of specific criminal law measures targeting organised crime, European Commission, 2016

Tzvetkova, M., Pardal, M., Disley, E., Rena, A., Talic, S., Forberger, S., "Strategies for a risky business: How drug dealers manage customers, suppliers and competitors in Italy, Slovenia and Germany," International Journal of Drug Policy, 31, 2016

Commentary

Is the EU Drugs Strategy Helping to Curb the Harm Caused by Drugs?
The EU Drugs Strategy takes a balanced approach to reduce drug demand, supply, and harm. All EU member states have a national drugs strategy, and most are aligned with the EU's. Having a coordinated voice on drug policy is valuable but is the strategy working?
Jan 9, 2018 E!Sharp
UK Prisons Are in 'Crisis,' So What Can Be Done to Improve Performance?
Prisons in the UK are experiencing record numbers of suicides and other violent incidents, as well as staff shortages. Policymakers working on prison reform need more effective ways to measure the performance of prison programs.
Feb 20, 2017 Criminal Law and Justice Weekly
Drug Dependence: Treatment Over Incarceration
Drug dependence imposes significant costs to society and traditional criminal justice responses like imprisonment do not reduce crime. More quality research on alternative sanctions could help police, prosecutors, and judges expand their options while helping users get treatment.
Oct 3, 2016 Criminal Law & Justice Weekly
Does Intervention or Investment Innovate? Social Impact Bonds at the Close of the Peterborough Prison Pilot
There is limited evidence to support the assumption that social impact bonds offer a particularly effective way to spur innovation in service provision and will only have beneficial effects.
Jan 25, 2016 The RAND Blog
A Competitive Landscape for Providing Services Is an Opportunity for Evidence-Building, but Who Will Benefit?
In a tight fiscal climate the UK government has been an innovator in ways to fund and deliver effective public services. New funding arrangements present opportunities for developing the evidence base for policy and practice, since they are associated with different types of service providers.
Dec 2, 2014 PolicyWonkers
Advancing Social Outcomes: Private Investors Could Be Part of the Solution
Under a Social Impact Bond, private investors — rather than the government — provide up-front funding for programs that tackle such challenges as recidivism or homelessness. If these programs succeed, the government pays some of the savings back to the investors.
May 14, 2013 Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity

Publications

Visualization
Lessons Map: An overview of five case studies in the field of early childhood development
This Lessons Map is an aid to navigating five case studies produced by RAND Europe for the Bernard van Leer Foundation on efforts to make changes at scale in the area of early childhood development.
Apr 7, 2022
Journal Article
An Assessment of the Existing Landscape of Longitudinal Data Collection Related to Gambling
This study assesses the landscape of longitudinal data collection on gambling in the UK. This includes identifying data sources, scoping opportunities to add questions on gambling to existing studies and assessing the feasibility and cost of setting up a new longitudinal study on gambling.
Jan 25, 2022
Report
Supporting parental behavioural change: Multichannel and cross-sector campaigns in Israel: A case study
A case study that describes two campaigns in Israel that supported parental behavioural change. The case study highlights factors that contributed to the success of the campaigns and challenges that the organisers faced.
Dec 23, 2021
Report
Advocacy efforts in Brazil to extend the recognition of children's rights in early childhood: A case study
Case study on the advocacy efforts of the National Network of Early Childhood (RNPI) in collaboration with governmental institutions to introduce a Legal Framework for Early Childhood Development in Brazil.
Jun 22, 2021
Journal Article
Study to Identify an Approach to Measure the Illicit Market for Tobacco Products: Final Report
This study is intended to support efforts to better understand the scope and scale of the illicit tobacco market.
May 11, 2021
Research Brief
Findings from the national evaluation of Liaison and Diversion services in England
An outcome evaluation of the National Model for Liaison and Diversion scheme in England, which identifies and supports people in the criminal justice system with health issues and vulnerabilities, using a novel, large-scale linked data set.
Apr 12, 2021
Report
Outcome Evaluation of the National Model for Liaison and Diversion
An outcome evaluation of the National Model for Liaison and Diversion scheme in England, which identifies and supports people in the criminal justice system with health issues and vulnerabilities, using a novel, large-scale linked data set.
Apr 12, 2021
Journal Article
Mapping the Risk of Serious and Organised Crime Infiltrating Legitimate Businesses: Final Report
This report examines the infiltration of organized crime into legitimate European businesses, and its involvement in various illegal markets, including drugs and human trafficking.
Mar 23, 2021
Journal Article
Mapping the Risk of Serious and Organised Crime Infiltrating Legitimate Businesses: Technical Annexes
This annex provides a description of the cross-cutting data-collection activities that were undertaken to address the research questions and the major outputs of the study.
Mar 23, 2021
Report
Efforts to support the extension of birth leave in the Netherlands: Case study summary
This case study describes the efforts of a partnership that supported the introduction of a legislative change in 2018 which extended leave entitlement for partners of mothers in the Netherlands.
May 27, 2020
Report
Working to support policy change through an advocacy coalition in Israel: A case study
Case study on the work of the Coalition for Education from Birth in Israel and its activities to bring about a change in childcare regulation and provision in Israel. Early childhood development, coalition building, advocacy coalition, Israel.
May 27, 2020
Journal Article
Comparison of Criminal-History Information Systems in the United States and Other Countries
This addresses the uses and sources of criminal-history records, procedures for assessing accuracy and completeness, efforts to improve the systems, and availability of records for operational and research purposes.
2020
Report
Designing a Capability Development Framework for Home Affairs
Australia's Department of Home Affairs is seeking to establish an auditable, transparent and evidence-based approach to capability lifecycle management. The authors of this report describe a principles-based model to meet the department's needs.
Jun 24, 2019
Journal Article
Developing a Toolkit to Measure Intermediate Outcomes to Reduce Reoffending from Arts and Mentoring Interventions
Researchers developed a framework for outcome measurement, focused on 'intermediate' measures associated with reductions in reoffending, to be adopted by organisations delivering mentoring and arts interventions to adult offenders.
Mar 26, 2019
Report
Alcohol and international football tournaments
This case study reviews the available evidence on the connection between alcohol and international football.
Dec 11, 2018
Report
Early reflections on the approach to preventing and responding to violent and antisocial behavior at the 2018 World Cup in Russia
This case study examines the available evidence on violent and antisocial behaviour during the 2018 World Cup; policing tactics and intelligence-sharing; sale and consumption of alcohol; and the event organisation.
Dec 11, 2018
Report
How can crowd behaviour modelling be used to prevent and respond to violence and antisocial behaviour at Qatar 2022?
This case study explores the potential for crowd behaviour modelling to inform crowd management strategies to minimise the risk of violent or antisocial behaviour taking place during the 2022 FIFA World Cup, and to reduce harm if it does take place.
Dec 11, 2018
Report
Violent and antisocial behaviour at football events and strategies to prevent and respond to these behaviours: Final synthesis report
This study gathers and critically assesses the available evidence into the prevalence, nature and causes of violence and disorder at other major sporting events, and to draw on promising practices to prevent and respond to these harms.
Dec 11, 2018
Report
Violent and antisocial behaviour at football matches in the Middle East and North Africa: Scoping the evidence
This case study gathers and critically assesses the available evidence on violent and antisocial behaviour at football events in the MENA region, as well as strategies to prevent and reduce the occurrence of these behaviours.
Dec 11, 2018
Journal Article
Evaluation of the Social Impact Bond Trailblazers in Health and Social Care: Final Report
The Department of Health commissioned an independent evaluation of Social Impact Bond Trailblazers from PIRU, in partnership with RAND Europe, to explore their potential benefits and costs.
Jul 20, 2018
Journal Article
Research Paper on the Costs of Non-Europe in the Area of Procedural Rights and Detention Conditions
This report looks at the cost of non-Europe in relation to procedural rights and detention conditions.
Dec 20, 2017
Journal Article
An Analysis of Trends in First Time Entrants to the Youth Justice System
A study to investigate the possible factors related to the rapid changes in the number of first time entrants to the youth justice system in England and Wales.
Nov 17, 2017
Report
Evaluation of The Atlantic Philanthropies Migration Programme
This report presents findings from an evaluation of The Atlantic Philanthropies Migration Programme, which provided grants to organisations supporting migrants. It looks at the impacts achieved in law, policy and practice in Ireland.
May 31, 2017
Report
Mid-Term Assessment of the EU Drugs Strategy 2013–2020 and Final Evaluation of the Action Plan on Drugs 2013–2016: Final report
The report sets out the findings of an evaluation that assesses the degree of implementation of the EU Drugs Strategy 2013-2020 and the Action Plan 2013-2016 in all 28 EU Member States in terms of outputs and, where possible, impacts.
May 24, 2017
Journal Article
Evaluation of the Drugs and Alcohol Recovery Payment by Results Pilot Programme: Final Report
An evaluation of how the PbR approach can help to provide different schemes that support the recovery of individuals from drug and alcohol dependence and their successful re-integration into their communities.
2017
Journal Article
Study on Alternatives to Coercive Sanctions as Response to Drug Law Offences and Drug-Related Crimes: Final Report
This study aims to map alternatives to coercive sanctions (ACS) for drug law offences and drug-related crimes that are available under the law in each EU member state and describe the use of these sanctions in practice.
Sep 8, 2016
Report
Evaluation of the Offender Liaison and Diversion Trial Schemes
In 2014 a new model for liaison and diversion schemes, which identify people with vulnerabilities in the criminal justice system, was implemented in ten areas of England. This evaluation looks at the implementation of the new model in these sites.
Jul 12, 2016
Journal Article
Modeling the Structure and Operation of Drug Supply Chains: The Case of Cocaine and Heroin in Italy and Slovenia
This study of cocaine and heroin distribution networks in Italy and Slovenia explores a new approach to modeling such networks and identifying different market levels, defined by the quantity and frequency of sales and ranging from international brokers to wholesale distributors to retail dealers.
Jun 2, 2016
Journal Article
Strategies for a Risky Business: How Drug Dealers Manage Customers, Suppliers and Competitors in Italy, Slovenia and Germany
A growing body of literature aims to improve understanding of the operations of drug trafficking markets through conducting interviews with dealers and traffickers.
May 19, 2016
Report
Evaluation of EPIM III: 2012-2015
The European Programme for Integration and Migration provides funding to strengthen civil society organisations to advocate for constructive approaches to migration. In 2012 EPIM asked RAND to undertake an evaluation of their third funding round.
Apr 6, 2016
Report
The Cost of Non-Europe in the area of Organised Crime and Corruption: Annex II - Corruption
This study looks at the cost of non-Europe in relation to corruption, examining potential added value or benefits of EU-wide implementation of anti-corruption policies.
Mar 22, 2016
Report
Using Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements to manage and supervise terrorist offenders: Findings from an exploratory study
The research aimed to identify priorities for further attention by policymakers and researchers looking at the effectiveness of post-release supervision of terrorist offenders under Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA).
Mar 4, 2016
Report
Local perspectives in Ending Gang and Youth Violence areas: Perceptions of the nature of urban street gangs
The aim of this study was to understand perceptions of the nature of urban street gangs and whether these gangs have changed in recent years in the 33 areas that make up the UK Government's Ending Gang and Youth Violence (EGYV) programme.
Feb 26, 2016
Report
The payment by results Social Impact Bond pilot at HMP Peterborough: Final process evaluation report
RAND Europe was commissioned to evaluate the development, implementation and operation of the 'Social Impact Bond' implemented at HMP Peterborough. This report provides evidence and key lessons on the operation of this funding model.
Feb 26, 2016
Journal Article
An Evaluation of Social Impact Bonds in Health and Social Care: Interim Report
This interim report describes the progress of the nine 'Trailblazer' projects that investigate the feasibility of setting up Social Impact Bond (SIB) projects in health and social care in England.
Apr 1, 2015
Report
Evaluation of EPIM III: Emerging insights from the evaluation so far
This report sets out some emerging insights from the ongoing evaluation of the European Programme for Integration and Migration (EPIM) 2012-2015 programme.
Nov 24, 2014
Report
Phase 2 report from the payment by results Social Impact Bond pilot at HMP Peterborough
This report is the second from the evaluation of the Social Impact Bond pilot at Peterborough prison. Based on stakeholder interviews it looks at the operation of the pilot over the last four years.
Jul 18, 2014
Journal Article
Dealing with Cocaine and Heroin in Italy: Business Strategies and Operations
This study provides useful insights into understanding how the cocaine and heroin market works in Italy, and the role that some dealers play within it.
2014
Report
Development of a framework to estimate the cost of opioid dependence
This report sets out the findings of a targeted review of the harms of opioid dependence, and an assessment of existing estimates of the its costs. A proposed framework for developing estimates of the costs of opioid dependence is outlined.
Nov 5, 2013
Journal Article
Intermediate Outcomes of Arts Projects: A Rapid Evidence Assessment
A summary of the findings from a rapid evidence assessment which sought to identify 'intermediate' outcomes from arts projects with adult offenders.
2013
Journal Article
Intermediate Outcomes of Mentoring Interventions: A Rapid Evidence Assessment
A summary of the findings from a rapid evidence assessment which sought to identify 'intermediate' outcomes from mentoring projects with adult offenders.
2013
Journal Article
Drugs and Alcohol PBR Pilot Evaluation: Scoping and Feasibility Report
The purpose of the PbR Pilots is to develop and test out new approaches to the commissioning and delivery of drugs and alcohol recovery systems that reward achievement of this outcome.
Nov 1, 2012
Report
Evaluation of the implementation of the Europol Council Decision and of Europol’s activities
This report sets out findings from a wide-ranging evaluation of Europol -- the European Police Office. It examines Europol's capabilities, legal basis and activities, highlighting potential areas for reform in the forthcoming Europol Regulation.
Jul 25, 2012
Report
Assessment of the implementation of the EU Drugs Strategy 2005—2012 and its Action Plans
This report sets out findings from an independent evaluation of the EU Drugs Strategy 2005-12 and Action Plans. The research examined the implementation, relevance and influence of the Strategy and its added value for Member States and at EU level.
Apr 18, 2012
Report
Feasibility Study for a European Cybercrime Centre
RAND Europe conducted a feasibility study on a European Cybercrime Centre by reviewing literature, conducting extensive consultations with law enforcement and a scenario based workshop. The study evaluated different options for the set up of the ECC.
Mar 27, 2012
Report
Individual disengagement from Al Qa'ida-influenced terrorist groups: A Rapid Evidence Assessment to inform policy and practice in preventing terrorism
This project reviewed available evidence on factors associated with exit from violent extremist groups and the effectiveness of interventions to encourage individuals to leave such groups, to inform the UK counterterrorism strategy.
Mar 2, 2012
Journal Article
Incentives and Challenges for Information Sharing in the Context of Network and Information Security
This report sets out findings from a research project into the barriers to and incentives for information sharing in the field of network and information security, in the context of peer-to-peer groups such as Information Exchanges (IE) and Information Sharing Analysis Centres (ISACs).
2012
Research Brief
Evaluation of the Social Impact Bond: Lessons from planning and early implementation at HMP Peterborough
RAND Europe has evaluated the world's first Social Impact Bond (SIB), an innovative payment-by-results mechanism to fund public services which aims to reduce reoffending by prisoners. This report presents the initial findings of the evaluation.
Dec 14, 2011
Report
Lessons learned from the planning and early implementation of the Social Impact Bond at HMP Peterborough
This report identifies early lessons from the development and implementation of the world's first Social Impact Bond, which is being piloted by the UK Ministry of Justice and aims to provide interventions to reduce reoffending.
Nov 4, 2011
Report
Map the Gap: a critical review of the literature on gambling-related harm
This report 'maps the gaps' in the current evidence base relating to harmful gambling. It describes the quantity and quality of existing research in this field, and highlights areas in which evidence and knowledge are sparse or lacking.
Oct 17, 2011
Report
Toward a Comparison of DNA Profiling and Databases in the United States and England
RAND researchers explored the U.S. and English forensic DNA analysis systems to find out whether England has capitalized more fully on their crime-fighting potential than the U.S. system.
Dec 20, 2010
Report
Local Authority Commissioning: Understanding the use of information and evidence by commissioners of services
This exploratory research examines the types of data and information Local Authorities draw upon to make commissioning decisions.
Oct 7, 2009
Report
Health and wellbeing at work in the United Kingdom
The report presents the findings of a study undertaken for the English Department of Health in 2009 on whether health workplace interventions could improve the levels of health and wellbeing in British workplaces and the NHS in England.
Sep 14, 2009
Report
Tackling Violent Crime: Findings from regional workshops with 12 Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships
This report examines the work of Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships in tackling violence. It highlights promising practices and discusses some of the barriers faced by local practitioners working to reduce violent crime.
Apr 29, 2009