Project Participants

  • Tony Kenny

    I am currently a student of Youth and Community Diploma in UCC. My experience of prison is long in the past and I don’t think about it much. I participated in this project through Cork Alliance, because I thought it would be very interesting and I wanted to see what we can achieve together with this research project.

  • Keith Purcell

    I am currently a Key Worker with Coolmine Ltd and I also do a Youth and Community Diploma in UCC. I participated in the project through Cork Alliance, because I have a wealth of experience. I want to use this experience to raise awareness that people with difficult pasts can create great futures.

  • Paul O’Rourke

    I am currently studying Youth Work in the College of Commerce. My reasons for doing this project is to raise awareness for men and women coming out of prison in future to not be put into homeless accommodation after prison, but rather into safe places where they can prosper in a healthy environment.

  • Katharina Swirak

    I am a lecturer in UCC/Department of Criminology and Sociology. I started this project together with Sheila from Cork Alliance, because I wanted to understand what it takes to genuinely collaborate with persons who have experienced the justice system through research rather than engage with them through short interactions or write about them.

  • Barbara O’Driscoll

    I have a Bachelor’s degree in Social Care Work and an MA in Criminology from UCC. I participated in this project as researcher, as I was very interested in learning how to engage in research practice with criminal justice experienced persons through participatory processes.

  • Sheila Connolly

    I am CEO of the Cork Alliance Centre. I am passionate about our people’s recovery journey, the role education has in it, and the need for people's voice to be central.

  • Anna Dudek-Wierszyllo

    I am a Psychotherapist, Psychologist and Counsellor. I work at Cork Simon Community and Pieta House. My interest lies in forensic psychology, criminology, neurology, psychiatry and trauma. My role in the project was to provide psychological support to the team and take part in the participatory research process.

We would like to thank several people who have supported us along the way:

  • Mike Murphy

    Mike is the cartographer in UCC’s Geography Department. He supported the project by designing our maps with us with great care and attention to detail.

  • Maggie O’Neill

    Maggie is Professor of Sociology and Criminology in UCC and she supported us by introducing us to ‘Mobile Criminologies’, attending our walking tours and providing invaluable feedback and support throughout.

  • David Honeywell

    David is a Convict Criminologist who works at Arden University and whose own Crime walk helped us think about our own walks. David also attended our walks and supported us with useful feedback.