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Dr Oscar

@droscaro.bsky.social

180 followers 280 following 86 posts

Criminologist, futurist and writer focussing on social inequality and the future of imprisonment (& too much football) | 📍Berlin #academicsky

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Dr Oscar @droscaro.bsky.social · Jan 9

🚨 New journal article ‼️

🛌 When you go to sleep this evening, spare a thought (& a few minutes) about what it’s like to sleep somewhere like prison

Sleep is key factor to health and well-being outcomes, but it is neglected.

This commentary explores solutions

journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...

Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.

journals.sagepub.com

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Dr Oscar @droscaro.bsky.social · 14d

Golf, cricket & (real) Ale…

The Ineffable Horror of Joe Muggs @joemuggs.bsky.social · 15d

What’s the most Tory-coded thing you actively love?

Me: Essex. Elgar. Country pubs.

Dr Oscar @droscaro.bsky.social · 18d

As James McEwan enters HMPPS stage left, Phil Copple exits stage right.

Phil has been a wonderful public servant for 35 years and that is an extraordinary commitment 👏

But now, after decades of mismanagement, HMPPS is ripping up the playbook.

www.civilserviceworld.com/news/article...

HMPPS names next chief executive

MoJ chief operating officer James McEwen will take helm of Prison and Probation Service next month

www.civilserviceworld.com

Reposted by Dr Oscar

Sean Rehaag @seanrehaag.bsky.social · 21d

A busy week...

My @refugeelab.ca released our report about tech and alternatives to immigration detention, co-authored by @danghez.bsky.social & @petramolnar.com, and co-published with @kaldorcentre.bsky.social and @idcoalition.bsky.social:

www.unsw.edu.au/content/dam/...

Cover image for a report entitled "From Surveillance to Empowerment: Advancing the Responsible Use of Technology in Alternatives to Detention" Accessible text via link

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Reposted by Dr Oscar

Dr J Warr @warrcrim.bsky.social · 26d

If you work in #Academia, #HigherEducation, or the #Research&Teaching field this is a massively important article.

It brings together many of the issues, critiques around the predatory #Tech of (so-called) #AI and its use in our fields, as well as unpicking the hollowness of the pro-AI rhetoric!

Olivia Guest · Ολίβια Γκεστ @olivia.science · Sep 6

Finally! 🤩 Our position piece: Against the Uncritical Adoption of 'AI' Technologies in Academia:
doi.org/10.5281/zeno...

We unpick the tech industry’s marketing, hype, & harm; and we argue for safeguarding higher education, critical
thinking, expertise, academic freedom, & scientific integrity.
1/n

Abstract: Under the banner of progress, products have been uncritically adopted or
even imposed on users — in past centuries with tobacco and combustion engines, and in
the 21st with social media. For these collective blunders, we now regret our involvement or
apathy as scientists, and society struggles to put the genie back in the bottle. Currently, we
are similarly entangled with artificial intelligence (AI) technology. For example, software updates are rolled out seamlessly and non-consensually, Microsoft Office is bundled with chatbots, and we, our students, and our employers have had no say, as it is not
considered a valid position to reject AI technologies in our teaching and research. This
is why in June 2025, we co-authored an Open Letter calling on our employers to reverse
and rethink their stance on uncritically adopting AI technologies. In this position piece,
we expound on why universities must take their role seriously toa) counter the technology
industry’s marketing, hype, and harm; and to b) safeguard higher education, critical
thinking, expertise, academic freedom, and scientific integrity. We include pointers to
relevant work to further inform our colleagues.

Figure 1. A cartoon set theoretic view on various terms (see Table 1) used when discussing the superset AI
(black outline, hatched background): LLMs are in orange; ANNs are in magenta; generative models are
in blue; and finally, chatbots are in green. Where these intersect, the colours reflect that, e.g. generative adversarial network (GAN) and Boltzmann machine (BM) models are in the purple subset because they are
both generative and ANNs. In the case of proprietary closed source models, e.g. OpenAI’s ChatGPT and
Apple’s Siri, we cannot verify their implementation and so academics can only make educated guesses (cf.
Dingemanse 2025). Undefined terms used above: BERT (Devlin et al. 2019); AlexNet (Krizhevsky et al.
2017); A.L.I.C.E. (Wallace 2009); ELIZA (Weizenbaum 1966); Jabberwacky (Twist 2003); linear discriminant analysis (LDA); quadratic discriminant analysis (QDA).

Table 1. Below some of the typical terminological disarray is untangled. Importantly, none of these terms
are orthogonal nor do they exclusively pick out the types of products we may wish to critique or proscribe.

Protecting the Ecosystem of Human Knowledge: Five Principles

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Reposted by Dr Oscar

Mike Flannigan @mikeflannigan.bsky.social · 27d

New study in Nature on the Long-range PM2.5 pollution and health impacts from the 2023 Canadian wildfires

www.nature.com/articles/s41...

'We find that 354 million (277–421 million) people in North America and Europe were exposed to daily PM2.5 air pollution caused by Canadian wildfires in 2023'

figure 3 from https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09482-1
–c, Daily PM2.5 exposure in Canada (a), from fire sources in different source regions, anthropogenic sources and other sources (for example, biogenic, dust and sea salt). d–f, Cumulative fire-related PM2.5 exposures in Canada (d), from different source regions.

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Dr Oscar @droscaro.bsky.social · 27d

👏 Relatedly, Bourdieu has a nice explanation of taste in art and music using Habitus and structure. It may go some way to theorising the why of the why (re: your final sentence)

Reposted by Dr Oscar

The Marshall Project @themarshallproject.org · 27d

"Medicaid coverage is especially important for people post-release, because incarceration can wreck their health. One long-term study... found that imprisonment decreased the life expectancy of a 45-year-old person by 13%."

How Trump’s Medicaid Cuts Will Slash Health Coverage for People Leaving Prison

The massive cuts will hit the formerly incarcerated hard — and that could increase crime, experts warn.

www.themarshallproject.org

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Reposted by Dr Oscar

Nicole Kapelle @nicolekapelle.bsky.social · 28d

📢 Trinity College Dublin is hiring an Assistant Professor in Sociology. Full-time, fixed-term role (maternity cover).

Early career researchers, including those who’ve just submitted, completed, or are about to complete their PhD are welcome.

🗓️ Deadline: Oct 6, 2025
www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DOP688/a...

Assistant Professor in Sociology at Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin

Recruiting now: Assistant Professor in Sociology on jobs.ac.uk. Click for details and explore more academic job opportunities on the top job board

www.jobs.ac.uk

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Reposted by Dr Oscar

Mike McCarthy @itsmccarthy.bsky.social · Aug 1

Must read study of class consciousness in class demobilized societies. It reveals more than polls.

"...any understanding of political orientations in the contemporary working class should have ambivalence, contradiction, and heterogeneity at its very heart."

journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...

Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.

journals.sagepub.com

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Dr Oscar @droscaro.bsky.social · Aug 26

What happened to pressure groups & UK third sector?

It all seems passive & compliant these days.

No vision, little resistance, & minimal public presence.

The ‘noise’ seems to come from MoJ & POA.

Why is no one asking, what are short sentences replaced by? How is Govt. supporting these people?

Prison Reform Trust @prtuk.bsky.social · Aug 26

Labour to abolish most short prison sentences in England and Wales ⬇️

www.theguardian.com/society/2025...

Labour to abolish most short prison sentences in England and Wales

Exclusive: Legislation that will include Texas-style scheme to shorten jail time expected to be rolled out this year

www.theguardian.com

Dr Oscar @droscaro.bsky.social · Aug 26

Taylor’s “cautious optimism” ignores history, research, and macro trends.

A prison can’t change if its system is designed to reproduce itself.

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Dr Oscar @droscaro.bsky.social · Aug 26

And (yet again) not one mention from HMIP about historic conditions, legacy outcomes, and child imprisonment/ legitimacy.
They are complicit in reproducing children’s harm whilst they continue to ‘play the game’ with these repetitive & superficial ‘findings’

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Dr Oscar @droscaro.bsky.social · Aug 4

Congratulations to everyone involved 👏 Looking forward to reading!

Reposted by Dr Oscar

Dr J Warr @warrcrim.bsky.social · Jul 31

Hey #Criminology

It lives!

29 chapters. 8 sections. 50+ authors. #ECRs to veterans. Wide range of themes/topics

It's been a labour of over 2 years, but it's forthcoming (release in January 2026)

#CriminalJustice
#Victimology
#Zemiology
#SensoryCriminology

www.routledge.com/The-Routledg...

The Routledge International Handbook of Sensory Criminology

The Routledge International Handbook of Sensory Criminology reimagines what criminology can become when we take the senses seriously. Centring the sensory as fundamental to the experience of harm, jus...

www.routledge.com

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Reposted by Dr Oscar

Mike DeLand @mfdeland.bsky.social · Jul 30

The sociology & criminology dept at gonzaga is hiring! We're searching for somebody with a focus on criminology, law, or social control (broadly conceived).

We're a liberal arts teaching university. Very collegial department. Spread the word to interested folks. I'm happy to answer questions!

Assistant Professor, Sociology and Criminology - Gonzaga Main Campus, Washington, United States

Title: Assistant Professor, Sociology and Criminology Area: College of Arts and Sciences Department: Sociology and Criminology Telework Availability: On-campus Position Employee Classification: Tenure...

employment.gonzaga.edu

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Reposted by Dr Oscar

Dr J Warr @warrcrim.bsky.social · Aug 3

I think it's part:
1. #TechnoUtopianism - idea that new tech will solve extant problems cheaply
2. Ignorance of the rapacious nature of #SurveillanceCapitalism, the #CodedBias within, and the problems/harms forthcoming
3. Outdated neoliberalism and its desire to both outsource yet maintain control

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Dr Oscar @droscaro.bsky.social · Aug 3

Time for an open letter to call for a re-think & safeguards?

Timpson says it will be a ‘responsible and proportionate’ approach but there is no explanation of what oversight looks like. Feels like a recipe for disaster.

www.gov.uk/government/p...

AI action plan for justice

www.gov.uk

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Dr Oscar @droscaro.bsky.social · Aug 3

& then MoJ turn around and say ‘let’s integrate AI into our everyday practice’

I want to believe its negligence, but it feels more sinister than that

Dr Oscar @droscaro.bsky.social · Aug 1

Good leadership is knowing when to rip it up and start again

Nov-July 3️⃣0️⃣ Oakhill staff suspended for child misconduct

20/7 Director & 2 Deps suspended

21-25/7 CQC find unsanitary conditions & safeguarding concerns

G4S must be removed & all contracts reviewed

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Youth detention centre in Milton Keynes removes 33 staff members

The chief inspector of Ofsted says children were found to be living in unsanitary conditions.

www.bbc.co.uk

Reposted by Dr Oscar

Morgan Steele @morgansteele.bsky.social · Jul 28

New evaluation of de-escalation training for law enforcement! . This shows that de-escalation training can actually improve officers' ability to handle volatile situations.
doi.org/10.1177/0093...

Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.

doi.org

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Reposted by Dr Oscar

Per Engzell @pengzell.bsky.social · Jul 25

Turns out plonking a university down in the 1800s was a long-term investment in civic life. Kinda wish current policy makers would take note...

Will Marble @wpmarble.bsky.social · Jul 17

Universities often serve as "anchor institutions" that deeply affect the character of their communities. In a new paper, we estimate how (and when) the establishment of a college influences local political and civic life. 🧵

osf.io/preprints/so...

Screenshot of title page.

"The Long-Run Effects of Colleges on Civic and Political Life" by Michael J. Andrews, William Marble, and Lauren Russell.

Abstract: Social theorists and education advocates have long argued for the civic benefits of education. As large, durable institutions, universities are especially likely to affect the civic life of their communities. We investigate how the establishment of a university alters the civic and political trajectory of the surrounding area. For identification, we leverage historical site selection processes in which multiple locations were considered for new colleges. We bring together data on social capital, political preferences, and elections to assess the long-run impacts of college establishment. Communities with colleges exhibit higher levels of civic engagement and greater social trust today, relative to “runner-up” locations without colleges. These counties are also more politically liberal — a gap that has grown substantially since 2000. Our findings suggest understanding universities as place-based policies that shape the long-run civic and political development of their communities. They also shed light on current political battles over higher education policy.

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Reposted by Dr Oscar

Sham Jaff @shamjaff.bsky.social · Jul 25

Former German President Joachim Gauck recently appeared on national television and, through tears, described how painful it is for him to criticize Israel. Again, it's about: German pain, German history, and German discomfort with breaking ranks. And not about Palestinian suffering.

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Reposted by Dr Oscar

Sarah Murphy @13sarahmurphy.bsky.social · Jul 24

When so much of the media rolls out the comfy red carpet for Farage, Private Eye trips him up and milkshakes him.
Be more Private Eye.

Farage promises to build more jails
by Our Reform Correspondent
Nick Money

BRITAIN'S next prime minister, Nigel Farage, has vowed to expand the prison service to deal with the increasing lawlessness in Broken Britain.

Farage said it was imperative that we have more prisons to accommodate law-breakers such as Reform MPs.
Said Farage, "No, let me finish! We are looking at hundreds more Reform MPs after the next election, and with our vetting systems we are guaranteed to have a vast number of criminal members of Parliament, who have stolen public money or pushed their girlfriends down the stairs."

When asked how much all this would cost, the Reform leader explained in great detail that he didn't have a clue and couldn't care less.

Farage also promised to send the worst offenders to El Salvador, following a successful pilot programme sending Reform supporters to live in Dubai.

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Reposted by Dr Oscar

Paul Hayward @paulhayward.bsky.social · Jul 15

Doubtless Scottie Scheffler will get hammered for saying this, but it's a lot more interesting than the usual pre-Open chat about the length of the rough and the speed of the greens.

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