Horses have been a mainstay of the criminal justice system for the past two centuries, but just as the role of horses in the First World War was overlooked before Michael Morpurgo’s War Horse, the beneficial impact horses have both on policing and prisoner behaviour has received little attention up to now.
The discussion will take place at St John’s College from 6.30-8pm on 20th October and two police horses and their riders from the City of London Mounted Branch will be present at the venue from 5-7pm to meet and greet members of the public and those attending the debate.
Those speaking include Chris Giacomantonio, a research analyst from RAND Europe, Mima Manning, Equine Manager from Greater Manchester Police, and Professor Rosie Meek, Head of the School of Law at Royal Holloway, University of London. The event will be chaired by Rod Hansen, Deputy Chief Constable at Gloucestershire Constabulary and national policing lead for mounted policing.
Giacomantonio will argue that although mounted police are often associated with riot control, they are more likely to be found on neighbourhood patrol. RAND Europe, in partnership with the University of Oxford, has conducted an extensive investigation into the value of mounted police in various deployment scenarios in order to understand how members of the public perceive and respond to mounted police deployments. It found that in neighbourhood settings, mounted police patrols are associated with higher levels of visibility, trust and confidence in police and that they generate far greater levels of casual engagement than officers on foot. His talk will focus on how we can capitalise on these findings.
Police horses are employed in a wide range of tasks, from crowd control, high-visibility urban patrols and community engagement to ceremonial duties. Mima Manning will describe how they are selected for service, the training they receive and how they are looked after.
Professor Meek will talk about the role of equine assisted therapy in the criminal justice system. She is working with a team led by RAND Europe to develop effective tools for evaluating a wide range of criminal justice programmes. Although better known for her research into the role of sport in prisons, her evaluation research has spanned EAT programmes, with one study identifying a significant reduction in violence and disciplinary hearings for prisoners who took part. Other observed benefits of such programmes include increased confidence, management of emotions and improved participation in education. Interest in the potential of employing horses as a therapeutic medium to aid the rehabilitation process has grown significantly in recent years and Professor Meek will outline some of the challenges of using such innovative approaches in prison settings.
The event, presented with RAND Europe, is one of over 250 - most of them free - at this year’s Festival of Ideas. Established in 2008, the Festival aims to fuel the public’s interest in arts, humanities and social sciences. The events, ranging from talks, debates and film screenings to exhibitions and comedy nights, are held in lecture halls, theatres, museums and galleries around Cambridge.
The Festival sponsors and partners are Cambridge University Press, St John’s College, Anglia Ruskin University, RAND Europe, Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), Cambridge Live, University of Cambridge Museums and Botanic Garden, Arts Council England, Cambridge Junction, British Science Association, Heritage Lottery Fund, Heffers, WOW Festival, Southbank Centre, Collusion, TTP Group, Goethe Institut, Index on Censorship and BBC Cambridgeshire.
Festival of Ideas website
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