Ian Marder

I joined Maynooth University as Assistant Professor in Criminology in May 2018, before being made Associate Professor in October 2024. In the School of Law and Criminology, I am Co-Deputy Director of the Centre for Criminology and Restorative Practices Officer. In the latter role, I can be contacted by colleagues and students who wish to explore a restorative process under the School's Restorative Practices Policy. Previously, I was Director of Outreach and Engagement (2019-24), Chair of the MA in Comparative Criminology and Criminal Justice (2019-24) and Deputy Director of Postgraduate Studies (2022-24), roles that I handed over in advance of my sabbatical (2024-25).

My work considers how to prevent, reduce and repair harm caused by crime and criminal justice, and how to meet citizens' and professionals' needs. I mostly write on restorative justice, restorative practices in criminal justice and higher education, and other elements of criminal justice change. I also write for public and professional audiences to communicate evidence and ideas from research.

In 2025, I am collaborating with colleagues from academia, policy and practice on several projects:

• Embedding a Culture of Interdisciplinary Open Research in Criminal Justice in Ireland (funded by NORF, 2023-24) established the Criminal justice Open Research Dialogue (CORD) Partnership, with over 50 organisational partners.
• Data collection is underway for Researching restorative practices training for academic and professional staff (funded by Maynooth SPARK Fund, 2024-25).
• The findings of Restorative Practices Training for Senior Prison Leaders (funded by the Irish Prison Service, 2022-23) are awaiting publication.
• Restorative Justice: Strategies for Change is a five-year project (2019-24) in which partners from ten countries collaborate to develop restorative justice in criminal justice settings. This is currently being evaluated.
• Unlocking Potential seeks to create a fair admissions process to higher education institutions for people with convictions (funded by the Public Service Innovation Fund, 2020-22).

Previously, my work has received funding from the Irish Research Council, Irish Prison Service, Probation Service, Department of Justice, Estonian Ministry of Justice, European Forum for Restorative Justice and International Commission of Jurists.

In 2020, I established the Restorative Justice Pedagogy Network, bringing together academics from over 40 countries to discuss teaching restorative justice and restorative practices in universities. I am an active member of the European Forum for Restorative Justice, the Irish Penal Reform Trust and the European Society of Criminology. I am also a Lecturer with the International Institute for Restorative Practices, an Adjunct Professor with Vermont Law School’s Centre for Justice Reform, a Visiting Associate Professor at Edinburgh Napier University School of Applied Sciences, and a Director of Victim Support at Court.

My PhD (2018) is from the University of Leeds Centre for Criminal Justice Studies (UK) for my research on the institutionalisation of restorative justice in the police. Previously, I was Research Associate at the University of Liverpool working with the N8 Policing Research Partnership's Public Engagement Strand (2018). I was a Visiting Scholar at the University of the West of England (2022) and at KU Leuven Institute of Criminology (2015-16). In 2017-18, I acted as Scientific Expert to the Council of Europe to support the drafting of a new framework on restorative justice.

I am happy to speak to the media about restorative justice, policing, sentencing and criminal justice reform. I am also open to requests to give guest lectures and workshops, or to discuss developing restorative justice and restorative practices.