Pat Carlen is a leading British criminologist whose work has significantly shaped feminist criminology, penal policy, and critical perspectives on women’s imprisonment. She has held academic positions at the University of Leicester, University of Bath, and the University of Edinburgh, and has served as editor-in-chief of the British Journal of Criminology. Carlen is known for her ethnographic research on women in prison, her critical stance on the criminal justice system, and her advocacy for decarceration.
Carlen’s research has illuminated how gender, class, and social inequality intersect to shape women’s experiences with crime and punishment. She introduced the concept of the “correctional paradox,” highlighting the gap between rehabilitative rhetoric and punitive practice. Her work also critiques the criminalization of poverty and the structural disadvantages faced by women in the justice system.
