Rob Allen is an independent researcher and consultant on criminal justice and prisons. He was a founding member of the Youth Justice Board for England and Wales between 1998 and 2006 and Director of the International Centre for Prison Studies at King’s College London from 2005-10. Since then has undertaken a range of work for the United Nations, the Council of Europe and Penal Reform International as well as leading investigations for the UK Ministry of Justice on near deaths in prison.

Rob has written widely on issues relating to sentencing, youth justice and alternatives to imprisonment. Rob co-hosts the Transform Justice podcast with Penelope Gibbs and blogs at https://reformingprisons.blogspot.com/