UWE Bristol researchers awarded grant to explore impact of asset recovery on offenders

UWE Bristol academics have been awarded funding to explore of the impact of asset recovery on deterring offender behaviour and disrupting crime networks.

A team led by Dr Amber Phillips, supported by Dr Jonathan Gilbert and Dr Ian Walmsley, has received £90,000 from the National Crime Agency (NCA) and Home Office to evaluate asset recovery and its impact on organised crime groups.

The 15-month project is notable for being funded entirely from proceeds of crime through the Asset Recovery Incentivisation Scheme (ARIS).

Asset recovery is the process of identifying, tracing, freezing, seizing, and recovering assets that have been stolen, embezzled, or acquired through illegal means. Experts believe asset recovery is of key strategic importance in the fight against economic crime, but evidence of its impact remains limited.

The aim of the research project is to examine how asset recovery shapes offender behaviour, focussing on its capacity for deterrence and disruption.

The project aims to generate actionable evidence on the impact of specific interventions across different offender profiles, as well as insights into how offenders adapt and respond. These insights will support the development of more targeted, effective policy and enforcement responses.

Dr Amber Phillips, a Senior Lecturer in Criminology in UWE Bristol’s School of Social Sciences, said: “Using the proceeds of crime to contribute to positive social change is something I’ve been passionate about throughout my career, so I’m especially excited that this project will be funded through ARIS.

“As a team, our hope is that this work will contribute to broadening the evidence base for asset recovery interventions and help lay the foundations for future work on this topic, building on UWE’s growing reputation for research on economic crime.”

Sal Melki, Deputy Director Illicit Finance at the National Economic Crime Centre at the NCA, said: “Money laundering underpins and enables almost all forms of organised crime. Recovering and confiscating criminal assets is one part of the law enforcement response, designed both to act as a deterrent and to return criminal funds to the public purse.

“Understanding more about the impact of asset recovery on criminals and their behaviour will enable us to develop and use the most targeted and effective interventions. We were so excited by the research proposal submitted by the University of the West of England and are looking forward to working with them as they undertake this important piece of work.”