Nicola is a Professor in Criminology in the School of Sociology and Social Policy at the University of Nottingham. Prior to becoming an academic Nicola worked as a Probation Officer seconded to a Youth Offending Team in London. Nicola has researched widely on aspects of youth justice and children and young people's experiences of youth justice and wider institutions.   She is editor of the Probation Journal, an editorial board member of Youth Justice, the British Journal of Criminology and the Irish Probation Journal.