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Emma Disley

Contact Information

Associate Research Group Director, 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 an associate research group director with RAND Europe, working primarily on research related to communities, safety and justice. Prior to joining RAND, Disley worked as a researcher at Thames Valley Police, the National Policing Improvement Agency, and at the Centre for Criminology at the University of Oxford. Her research interests span a variety of topics relating to crime and criminal justice, including policing, international law enforcement cooperation, offender management and interventions, imprisonment, drug policy and serious and organised crime. She has also led a number of studies into new ways of funding public services, such as payment by results and social impact bonds. While at RAND Disley has worked on and led projects for a range of EU, British, and wider European institutions, agencies, departments, and foundations. She earned a Ph.D. in criminology from the University of Oxford.

Research Focus

Recent Projects

Study on Alternatives to Coercive Sanctions as Response to Drug Law Offences and Drug-Related Crimes
Evaluating the Efficacy of Social Impact Bonds
Paving the Way for Policy Initiatives to Fight Against Organised Crime
Using Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements to manage and supervise terrorist offenders.
Evaluation of the implementation of the Europol Council Decision and of Europol's activities

Selected Publications

Caulkins, J. P., Disley, E., Tzvetkova, M., Pardal, M., Shan, H., Zhang, X., "Modeling the structure and operation of drug supply chains: The case of cocaine and heroin in Italy and Slovenia," International Journal of Drug Policy, 31:64-73, 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, 31:90-98, 2016

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

Krapels, J., Disley, E., Corbett, J., Scraggs, E., Baruch, B., Evaluation of EPIM III, RAND Corporation (RR-1489-EPIM), 2015

Disley, E., Giacomantonio, C., Kruithof, K., and Sim, M, The payment by results Social Impact Bond pilot at HMP Peterborough: final process evaluation report, UK Ministry of Justice (RR-1212-MOJ), 2015

Burrowes, N., Disley, E., Liddle, M., Maguire, M., Rubin, J., Taylor, J., and Wright S., The impact of arts projects with offenders - a literature review: summary of key findings, UK Ministry of Justice, 2013

Disley, E., Irving, B., Hughes, W., Patruni, B., Evaluation of the implementation of the Europol Council Decision and of Europol's activities, RAND Corporation (TR-1264-EUROPOL), 2012

Commentary

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

Report
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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