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Crime and Justice

New and creative solutions to crime come from a diverse range of voices. To generate strong, socially responsive design methodologies, DAC engages government departments, students, businesses, local communities, prisons and returning citizens in the co-design of our crime prevention strategies and design benchmarks.
  • A dark green and blue kimono jacket with a paisley pattern next to a poster with a close-up of the pattern and information about the design and make. A blue panel nearby has the caption in white text
    Kimono jacket, Making for Change, HMP Downview. Exhibited at Making Time: Every Prison a Creative Hub

    Making Time: Every Prison a Creative Hub

    Hosted at London's Hoxtonian Gallery in 2024/2025, the exhibition Making Time: Every Prison A Creative Hub' showcased recent creative design education initiatives inside UK prisons. Co-curated by Lorraine Gamman, Professor of Design and Director, Design Against Crime Research Lab at Central Saint Martins, in collaboration with Love Print.

  • A bus shelter with plants growing on the roof
    Photo: Clear Channel

    Tackling violence against women and girls  

    We work with CSM BA (Hons) Product and Industrial Design students as part of their curriculum to explore how design can be used to address the wicked problem of violence against women and girls, finding ways to protect, empower, educate and bring about change. The ‘Designs for Safer Streets’ project (2022) was sponsored and supported by Clear Channel and the 2023 project was in collaboration with Islington Borough Council.

  • Eight posters featuring black heroes
    Central Saint Martins,

    Black Heroes

    Working with the design agency Here and inmates at HMP Isis, the Design Against Crime Research Lab created a series of posters for Black History Month 2022 featuring black role models from the worlds of music, sport, design and politics.

  • An illustration of a briefcase with arms coming out of the edges
    Photo: DACRL

    Case studies

    We have delivered practice-led and socially responsive design research for over 20 years, addressing issues from personal security and theft to youth violence, public safety, and social well-being. Our completed projects include anti-theft products such as chairs, bags, bike stands, and ATM art designed to deter thieves. These design against crime responses are recognised within the research field as impactful benchmarks.

  • Four people chatting with large yellow bags
    Photo: Tom Willcocks

    Makeright

    Working with prisons in the UK and India, Makeright is an award-winning design education initiative for prison industries. It provides vocational courses as well as teaching materials to help build resilience and encourage creativity amongst participants, leading some towards crime-free lives. It has been delivering participatory design projects in prisons for over a decade.

  • A blue Sharpie on top of sheets of paper
    Photo: DACRL

    Redesign Youth Futures

    Working in partnership with external agencies Reprezent Radio, Red Thread and the UAL Social Design Institute, Redesign Youth Futures applies a health and humanities perspective to youth crime, using data visualisation and co-creation. This approach helps national and local policymakers, strategic funders, and service providers understand the challenge in new ways, enabling them to make informed, impactful decisions.

  • A person holding onto a chair
    Photo: DACRL

    Cell Furniture

    Working in partnership with UK Public Sector Prison Industries, this project co-designed a new range of cell furniture that could be made in prison. The main purpose was to improve the safety and wellbeing of prisoners and prison staff. Our research and design approach involved collaborating with prisoners, prison staff, and designers to identify and address issues of use, misuse, and abuse of existing cell furniture, and to respond to other operational challenges in prison.

  • A tower of bricks painted different colours
    Photo: DACRL

    Bloqs

    Bloqs was developed in collaboration with Southern Denmark University, adapting the Danish board game Captivated - designed to reconnect incarcerated individuals with their families - for a UK audience. DAC worked with four BA Product Design students during their industry placement year. Together with prisoners from HMP Thameside and the staff overseeing the ‘Families First’ programme, the Bloqs game was created.