Personal profile
Biography
Dr. James Windle is Senior Lecturer in Criminology at University College Cork. He holds a LLM in International Law with International Relations from the University of Kent, and a PhD in Criminology from Loughborough University/Midlands Centre for Criminology and Criminal Justice. He is chair of the ISS21 Crime and Social Harm (CSH) research cluster.
Prior to joining UCC, James was Senior Lecturer of Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of East London, where he was Programme Leader for the BA Criminology and Psychosocial Studies. He was also a Fellow of the UEL Terrorism and Extremism Research Centre. James has worked with, or acted as a consultant to, a variety of local and national government departments, non-governmental organisations and law enforcement agencies. He is also a qualified electrician, a trade he worked in for almost ten years before entering academia.
His primary research focus has been on illicit drug markets, illicit enterprise, street gangs, organized crime and the history of prohibition. He is author of Suppressing Illicit Opium Production: Successful Intervention in Asia and the Middle East (IB Taurus, 2016), co-author of The Desistance Journey: Into Recover and Out of Chaos (Palgrave, 2018), lead editor of Historical Perspectives on Organized Crime and Terrorism (Routledge, 2018) and co-editor of Giving Voice to Diversity in Criminological Research: 'Nothing about Us without Us' (Policy, 2022).
Prior to joining UCC, James was Senior Lecturer of Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of East London, where he was Programme Leader for the BA Criminology and Psychosocial Studies. He was also a Fellow of the UEL Terrorism and Extremism Research Centre. James has worked with, or acted as a consultant to, a variety of local and national government departments, non-governmental organisations and law enforcement agencies. He is also a qualified electrician, a trade he worked in for almost ten years before entering academia.
His primary research focus has been on illicit drug markets, illicit enterprise, street gangs, organized crime and the history of prohibition. He is author of Suppressing Illicit Opium Production: Successful Intervention in Asia and the Middle East (IB Taurus, 2016), co-author of The Desistance Journey: Into Recover and Out of Chaos (Palgrave, 2018), lead editor of Historical Perspectives on Organized Crime and Terrorism (Routledge, 2018) and co-editor of Giving Voice to Diversity in Criminological Research: 'Nothing about Us without Us' (Policy, 2022).
He is author, with colleagues from the Department of Sociology and Criminology and School of Law, of Criminology, Crime and Justice in Ireland: An Introduction (Routledge, 2022), Ireland's first criminology textbook, He has published extensively in prominent peer-reviewed social science journals and non-refereed outlets, including Newsweek and RTÉ Brainstorm.
James is interested in supervising PhDs in any of his research interests, although he has broad criminological interests so is open to discuss supervision in other areas.
Other research affiliations
- Institute for Social Science in the 21st Century (ISS21)
PhD Supervision
- Available for PhD supervision
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
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SDG 1 No Poverty -
SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being -
SDG 5 Gender Equality -
SDG 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth -
SDG 10 Reduced Inequalities -
SDG 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
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Dive into the research topics where James Windle is active. These topic labels come from the works of this person. Together they form a unique fingerprint.
- 1 Similar Profiles
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Criminal exploitation and vulnerability in drug markets: A six-nation comparison of its recognition in international policy discourses and criminal justice systems
Søgaard, T. F., Andell, P., Coomber, R., Chomczyński, P., Bowden, M., Gundhus, H. O. I., Frąckowiak, P., Szykut, M., Tollin, K., Windle, J., Löfstrand, C. H. & Seal, M., 22 Mar 2026, In: European Journal of Criminology. p. 1-22 22 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile -
How women experience addiction services in Cork
Windle, J. & Cronin, J., 2026, University College Cork. 47 p.Research output: Book/Report › Other report
Open AccessFile -
‘I don’t really want to speak up because they’re on a different level to me’: The stigma of not engaging in trauma talk
Windle, J. & Cronin, J., 21 Mar 2026, In: International Journal of Drug Policy. 151, p. 1-4 4 p., 105244.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile -
Cork crime: Irish Examiner study shows calls to get 'tough' on crime are illogical
Lynch, O., Windle, J. & Swirak, K., 2025, Irish Examiner.Research output: Other output
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Financing the far-right in Ireland
Schenk, C. & Windle, J., 8 Aug 2025, The Far-Right in Ireland: Rise, Activities and International Links. Bristol University Press, p. 113-130 18 p.Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedings › Chapter › peer-review
Press/Media
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Hopes programme linking Cork prison learners and UCC students can be expanded
2/05/25
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media
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10 Apr 2025 Students graduate from Ireland’s 'Inside Out' prison-university programme
Mcsweeney, P., McCarthy, B., Swirak, K. & Windle, J.
10/04/25
2 items of Media coverage
Press/Media
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Plan for prison expansion is a bad idea
O'Sullivan, C., Donson, F., O'Neill, M., Lynch, O., Swirak, K., Williams, S., Windle, J. & Kilkelly, U.
18/04/24
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media
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