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Dr Oscar

@droscaro.bsky.social

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

198 Followers  |  280 Following  |  88 Posts  |  Joined: 21.11.2024
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Posts by Dr Oscar (@droscaro.bsky.social)

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Near-source wastewater surveillance as a non-invasive tool for disease detection in prisons - Scientific Reports Scientific Reports - Near-source wastewater surveillance as a non-invasive tool for disease detection in prisons

🚨 New publication in @natureportfolio.nature.com!!!

⏰ It’s taken a while, but sometimes good science takes time.

🚽 Near-source wastewater-based epidemiology is a game changer for public health surveillance in prisons.

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

23.02.2026 16:25 β€” πŸ‘ 5    πŸ” 5    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

β€˜LLMs shift work from drafting to verification and correction, offsetting speed gained during initial text generation.’

A wonderful use of police time so far…

#cjs #policing #LLMs #AI

23.02.2026 20:55 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Near-source wastewater surveillance as a non-invasive tool for disease detection in prisons - Scientific Reports Scientific Reports - Near-source wastewater surveillance as a non-invasive tool for disease detection in prisons

🚨 New publication in @natureportfolio.nature.com!!!

⏰ It’s taken a while, but sometimes good science takes time.

🚽 Near-source wastewater-based epidemiology is a game changer for public health surveillance in prisons.

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

23.02.2026 16:25 β€” πŸ‘ 5    πŸ” 5    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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WE ARE HIRING: HEAD OF INFLUENCING

Deadline - Tuesday 2nd December

switchbackworks.info/head-of-infl...

We are looking for someone to build on our fantastic progress shifting policy and perceptions – such as our most recent work influencing government policy on recall. #ReshapeRelease

13.11.2025 14:38 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

Golf, cricket & (real) Ale…

23.09.2025 16:20 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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HMPPS names next chief executive MoJ chief operating officer James McEwen will take helm of Prison and Probation Service next month

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 πŸ‘

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

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

20.09.2025 09:12 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Cover image for a report entitled "From Surveillance to Empowerment: Advancing the Responsible Use of Technology in Alternatives to Detention" Accessible text via link

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

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/...

16.09.2025 16:31 β€” πŸ‘ 19    πŸ” 12    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

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!

11.09.2025 12:33 β€” πŸ‘ 10    πŸ” 6    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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.

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.

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'

10.09.2025 16:48 β€” πŸ‘ 25    πŸ” 10    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 1

πŸ‘ 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)

11.09.2025 08:55 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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How Trump’s Medicaid Cuts Will Slash Health Coverage for People Leaving Prison The massive cuts will hit the formerly incarcerated hard β€” and that could increase crime, experts warn.

"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%."

10.09.2025 14:22 β€” πŸ‘ 13    πŸ” 11    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 2
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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

πŸ“’ 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.

πŸ—“οΈ Deadline: Oct 6, 2025
www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DOP688/a...

10.09.2025 11:32 β€” πŸ‘ 17    πŸ” 17    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Sage Journals: Discover world-class research Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.

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/...

01.08.2025 18:29 β€” πŸ‘ 20    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 1

What happened to pressure groups & UK third sector?

It all seems passive & compliant these days.

No vision, little resistance, & minimal public presence.

The β€˜noise’ seems to come from MoJ & POA.

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

26.08.2025 15:45 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Taylor’s β€œcautious optimism” ignores history, research, and macro trends.

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

26.08.2025 15:40 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

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 β€˜play the game’ with these repetitive & superficial β€˜findings’

26.08.2025 15:37 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

Congratulations to everyone involved πŸ‘ Looking forward to reading!

04.08.2025 20:32 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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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...

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...

31.07.2025 12:36 β€” πŸ‘ 16    πŸ” 8    πŸ’¬ 3    πŸ“Œ 0
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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:Β On-campus Position Employee Classification:Β Tenure...

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!

30.07.2025 22:43 β€” πŸ‘ 26    πŸ” 27    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 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

03.08.2025 10:32 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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AI action plan for justice

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

Timpson says it will be a β€˜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...

03.08.2025 07:21 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

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

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

03.08.2025 06:58 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 0
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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.

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...

01.08.2025 10:39 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Sage Journals: Discover world-class research Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.

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...

28.07.2025 14:40 β€” πŸ‘ 4    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

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...

25.07.2025 07:58 β€” πŸ‘ 26    πŸ” 10    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

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.

25.07.2025 10:49 β€” πŸ‘ 58    πŸ” 19    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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.

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.

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.

24.07.2025 06:23 β€” πŸ‘ 1711    πŸ” 665    πŸ’¬ 74    πŸ“Œ 28
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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.

15.07.2025 17:48 β€” πŸ‘ 11    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 3    πŸ“Œ 0
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Reeves to say cuts to City red tape will bring trickle-down benefits to households Chancellor to announce raft of deregulation changes as City regulators move to pare back transparency rules

www.theguardian.com/business/202...
Rachel Reeves in thrall to old discredited myths of trickle down economics and identifying national budget with household. Can’t believe she doesn’t know better but do believe she’s bowing to the power of the wealthy

15.07.2025 10:11 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0