Winner of Best Oral Presentation, Jean Anne Kennedy has a MA in Sociology from SETU and is researching the area of sentencing in Ireland
Winner of Best Oral Presentation is Jean Anne Kennedy.
Jean Anne is a PhD student, researching the area of ‘Sentencing in Ireland: The Role of Pre-sentence Reports in the Criminal Justice System’ under the supervision of academics from the Department of Humanities in SETU (Dr Niamh Maguire) and from the University of Nottingham (Dr Nicola Carr).
Before deciding to commence her PhD studies at SETU, Jean Anne had already completed her Master of Arts degree in Sociology, with SETU. Her undergraduate degree (Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and English) was undertaken with University College Cork.
Research focus
Framing the focus of her research, Jean Anne said, “My research investigates the circumstances in which presentence reports are requested and used by judges in Irish courts, how probation officers construct them, and ultimately, how the reports contribute to sentencing. It examines how judges interpret the report and whether they follow the report recommendations put forward by the probation officers.”.
Close analysis of the many aspects of the judicial system are essential for Jean Anne’s research. “I’m using multi-methods to follow court cases from when the report is requested (ethnography), through preparation of the report by the probation officer (observation), content analysis of the reports themselves and finally, interviewing the court actors (judge, defendant, lawyer and probation officer) to understand what value they find in the report process,” she added.
Regarding the focus area of criminology, Jean Anne commented, “Criminology is a neglected discipline within Ireland and within that, sentencing and probation are less often discussed compared to policing and prison.” She continued, “with more people on probation than in prison, we need to know more about how courts make sentencing decisions and how probation officers undertake their work.”
Future plans
Speaking about her future plans, Jean Anne remarked on the positive experience of research, wishing to remain in research and teaching. “I want to be a voice and create space for others to use their voice, especially the less represented or the less empowered in our society”, she said. Hoping to stay continue her pathway at SETU, she added, “perhaps start a post-doc or take up more lecturing and tutoring. I want to stay active in research but also educate the next generation of sociologists and criminologists.”
This article is part of a series on Research Day 2017