Dr. Tahir Abass

Biography

Tahir Abass is a British Academy Postdoctoral Fellow at the Centre for Criminology, University of Oxford. His research focuses on the intersections of punishment, inequality, and belonging, with particular attention to racially marginalized Muslim communities in Britain. His fellowship project involves a study in England and Wales that foregrounds the voices of Muslim children affected by parental imprisonment, situating their experiences within larger debates on citizenship, identity, and justice. He completed his PhD in Law at the University of Leeds in 2023, with a thesis exploring the impact of imprisonment on Pakistani families in the UK, which has been recognized for its research excellence. He is currently working on a monograph with Routledge, expected in 2026, that extends his fellowship research by examining how the carceral state shapes the lives of young British Muslims and connects their experiences to international discussions on race, punishment, and inequality. Abass has taught widely in criminology and criminal justice programs at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels and is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. He is actively involved in Widening Participation initiatives aimed at increasing access to higher education. In academia, he has contributed to advisory work with the Howard League for Penal Reform and collaborates with third-sector organizations that support racially minoritized families and individuals leaving prison.

Research Interests