Dr Ben Laws

BA MSc MPhil PhD

Position Governing Body Fellows
School Humanities and Social Sciences
Department Institute of Criminology
Email Bwrl2@cam.ac.uk
Twitter @Ben_Laws
Department link Institute of Criminology

Ben completed his doctoral research in Criminology here in Cambridge and has been a member of Wolfson College since 2013. He has a background in psychology and strong interests in imprisonment, emotions, meditation and spirituality.

Ben studied English (BA) at Leicester, Psychology (MSc) at St. Andrews and Criminology (MPhil, PhD) here at Wolfson College, Cambridge. He has professional experience working in a range of mental health settings across the UK and US, mainly supporting those with autistic spectrum conditions (ASCs) and young adults with trauma histories. Ben’s PhD examined the emotional dimensions of prison life and investigated the ways in which male and female prisoners regulated their emotions. This involved trying to understand the psychological experience of going through a prison sentence.

Research Interests

Ben has been awarded a three-year ESRC New Investigator grant to explore the emotional dimensions of solitary confinement in England and Wales. The project extends and develops his previous research on imprisonment, by focusing on prisoners emotions at the margins. It starts with the interesting observation that while solitary confinement is damaging for many this outcome is does not appear to be universal. Ben hopes to understand how managing emotions in particular ways, or learning specific coping strategies, leads to differential developmental outcomes (e.g. more ‘healing’, or more ‘destructive’ pathways).

What's on

Thinking Against Babylon, One Beat at a Time: Black Music as Radical, De-colonial Epistemology

29/11/2022 at 17.30

What is radical and de-colonial about Black music as an instrument for radical thought?

Wolfson in Singapore

29/11/2022 at 19.00

Join Sian Cook, Director of Networks, for our Wolfson in Singapore events

Musician from Cambridge University Brass Band

Music and Madeira: Festive Fun with Cambridge University Brass Band

29/11/2022 at 21.00

A recital following Formal Hall with the Cambridge University Brass Band performing seasonal music.

Sustainability Thinking Space

30/11/2022 at 17.30

A free, interactive sustainability education and thinking space open to all Wolfson members, providing a guided space to develop your sustainability thinking, action and development.

Abstract geometric connect white lines and gold dots.

Science Student Research Series

02/12/2022 at 17.45

Join the Science Society for their new Science Student Research Series: friendly and engaging talks given by PhD students from Wolfson College about their research.

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