James Windle
Biographic Data
| ID | 215004 |
|---|---|
| NAME | James Windle |
| GIVEN NAMES | James |
| FAMILY NAME | Windle |
| SIGNATURE | WINDLE J |
| AFFILIATIONS | University College Cork |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-8367-2926 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 23 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 23 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 22 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 1 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2011 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 3 |
From denial to pregnancy and motherhood to 'gender informed'? Women and Ireland's alcohol and drug strategies, 1996-2025
Background Women compose a sizable percentage of individuals who consume alcohol and drugs problematically in the Republic of Ireland, and much research supports the need for gender sensitive drug policies and services. This paper reviews three decades of alcohol and drug policy in the Republic of Ireland to see how strategies have framed women.Method We initially conducted a content analysis and then a critical policy analysis of the four nation…
Criminal exploitation and vulnerability in drug markets
In the UK, the recent ‘turn to vulnerability’ in safeguarding and the criminal justice system has meant an increasing recognition that many children and vulnerable adults committing crimes, such as drug dealing, are in fact victims of criminal exploitation involving manipulation and coercion. This recognition is fairly recent, and the visibility of exploited children and adults is impacting how they are dealt with and safeguarded. In other parts …
I don’t really want to speak up because they’re on a different level to me’
This paper does not refute the association between trauma and SUD. Rather it argues that common misunderstandings of trauma and substance use, and increased use of trauma talk, may have contributed to a new form of stereotype that some with SUDs must navigate
The Origins of White Power Music
This paper challenges the common portrayal of White Power music as evolving from, or being an element of, Oi! punk. The paper traces the histories of White Power music and Oi!, and analyses a sample of 268 Oi! songs for racist or fascist lyrics. It shows that, while some Oi! artists and audience members were involved in far-right activism, the subculture was not itself fascist or overtly racist. Many of those involved in Oi! took action against r…
The online exchange of conspiracy theories within an Irish extreme right wing Telegram group during the Covid-19 pandemic
Five Areas Which Make the Irish Organized Crime Milieu Distinctive
This article critically assesses five areas that may together make the Irish organized crime milieu distinctive. First, there is minimal research. Second, organized crime groups and illicit enterprises are often characterized as “family-gangs.” Third, some violent conflicts are framed as family feuds. Fourth, a broad range of paramilitary groups have influenced Irish organized crime, in a variety of ways. Fifth, many organized crime groups and il…
Criminology, Crime and Justice in Ireland
This book offers an accessible and comprehensive introduction to criminology in Ireland. Logically structured and clearly written, this book explores theory and empirical research through real-life examples from an Irish context. Engaging and challenging, this book encourages critical thinking about, and understanding of, crime and crime control in Ireland, North and South. The book covers the canon of criminological theory, from classical and ps…
The Desistance Journey
Who researches organised crime? A review of organised crime authorship trends (2004–2019)
This article presents a review of organised crime authorship for all articles published in Trends in Organized Crime and Global Crime between 2004 and 2019 (N = 528 articles and 627 individual authors). The results of this review identify a field dominated by White men based in six countries, all in the Global North. Little collaboration occurs; few studies are funded, and few researchers specialise in the area. Organised crime research, however,…
How a moral panic influenced the world’s first blanket ban on new psychoactive substances
Ireland passed the world’s first blanket ban on new psychoactive substance in 2010. This article traces the historical processes culminating in the Criminal Justice (Psychoactive Substances) Act (2010) through a systematic review of Irish media articles published between 2000 and 2010 (N = 338). The review found that head shops were largely tolerated when they sold cannabis paraphernalia (2000–2008), possibly indicating the normalisation of canna…
The victimisation of farms in Ireland
This paper explores farmer’s experiences of crime and their attitudes towards crime prevention in one rural hinterland. Farmer’s attitudes about safety and crime present a dichotomy: fear of victimisation was relatively high, yet few participants reported having been victimised, and there was a perception that agricultural crime was high in Ireland but low in their locality. Feelings of insecurity were partly influenced by the closure of rural Ga…
Desistance Journey
I could have went down a different path’
Several participants were clear that none of the alternative policies discussed are silver bullets. Participates felt that, while they could reduce the harms caused by drugs and drug policies, the government's longer-term objectives should be increased treatment provision and, reduced social exclusion and economic deprivation
Historical Perspectives on Organized Crime and Terrorism
Why do South-east Asian states choose to suppress opium? A cross-case comparison
This paper compares the reasons given by three South-east Asian states (Laos, Thailand and Vietnam) for choosing to suppress opium production. While external pressure, often from the US or United Nations (UN)/League of Nations, is the most commonly identified reason in the literature, and was experienced in each case, it was not by itself sufficient to motivate states into action. All three cases were motivated by religious or ideological opposit…
The impact of the Great Recession on the Irish drug market
This article analyses 10 years (2004–2014) of An Garda Síochána controlled drug data to investigate the impact of economic recession and globalization on the Irish illicit drug market. The limited international literature on recessions and drug markets suggests that economic downturns can increase both drug consumption and dealing. Gardaí data may, however, suggest that the 2008 Great Recession reduced drug use and dealing, yet increased the cult…
Suppressing Illicit Opium Production
Conventional analysis of the illicit opium market suggests that source country interventions have at best achieved minimal results. Yet there are countries that have eliminated, or significantly reduced, the illicit production of opium from their territory. Drawing on a wide range of academic, official and non-governmental sources, including previously unidentified records, James Windle provides detailed narratives of countries that have achieved…
It’s like working away for two weeks’
Going solo
This paper presents a single case study of one street gang in one London borough. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 gang members, or former gang members, and seven practitioners. The practitioners and gang members/ex-gang members reported different perspectives on how the gang was structured and drug dealing was organised. The gang members/ex-gang members suggested that the gang is a loose social network with little recognisable f…
Harms caused by China's 1906–17 opium suppression intervention
How the East Influenced Drug Prohibition
In much of the academic literature drug prohibition is often described as an American, or at least a Western, construct. This paper shows how prohibitions were enforced in Asian countries while the United States and Western Europe were routinely trading opium. The concept of prohibition being a distinctly American construct is, therefore, flawed. Furthermore, Western missionaries to China are often credited as important actors in the formulation …
Afghanistan, Narcotics and the International Criminal Court
In 1989 Trinidad and Tobago approached the UN General Assembly to re-open discussion on the establishment of an international narcotics court. The proposal was borne of a frustration with the inability of less developed states to investigate and prosecute international drug traffickers and, a perceived lack of cooperation between national law enforcement and judicial agencies. 1 The proposal provided the impetus to a process which resulted in the…
Poppies for Medicine in Afghanistan
This study examines India and Turkey as case studies relevant to the Senlis Council's 'poppies for medicine' proposal. The proposal is that Afghan farmers are licensed to produce opium for medical and scientific purposes. Here it is posited that the Senlis proposal neglects at least three key lessons from the Turkish and Indian experiences. First, not enough weight has been given to diversion from licit markets, as experienced in India. Second, b…
Going solo
This paper presents a single case study of one street gang in one London borough. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 gang members, or former gang members, and seven practitioners. The practitioners and gang members/ex-gang members reported different perspectives on how the gang was structured and drug dealing was organised. The gang members/ex-gang members suggested that the gang is a loose social network with little recognisable f…
How the East Influenced Drug Prohibition
In much of the academic literature drug prohibition is often described as an American, or at least a Western, construct. This paper shows how prohibitions were enforced in Asian countries while the United States and Western Europe were routinely trading opium. The concept of prohibition being a distinctly American construct is, therefore, flawed. Furthermore, Western missionaries to China are often credited as important actors in the formulation …
It’s like working away for two weeks’
The Origins of White Power Music
This paper challenges the common portrayal of White Power music as evolving from, or being an element of, Oi! punk. The paper traces the histories of White Power music and Oi!, and analyses a sample of 268 Oi! songs for racist or fascist lyrics. It shows that, while some Oi! artists and audience members were involved in far-right activism, the subculture was not itself fascist or overtly racist. Many of those involved in Oi! took action against r…
The victimisation of farms in Ireland
This paper explores farmer’s experiences of crime and their attitudes towards crime prevention in one rural hinterland. Farmer’s attitudes about safety and crime present a dichotomy: fear of victimisation was relatively high, yet few participants reported having been victimised, and there was a perception that agricultural crime was high in Ireland but low in their locality. Feelings of insecurity were partly influenced by the closure of rural Ga…
The online exchange of conspiracy theories within an Irish extreme right wing Telegram group during the Covid-19 pandemic
Why do South-east Asian states choose to suppress opium? A cross-case comparison
This paper compares the reasons given by three South-east Asian states (Laos, Thailand and Vietnam) for choosing to suppress opium production. While external pressure, often from the US or United Nations (UN)/League of Nations, is the most commonly identified reason in the literature, and was experienced in each case, it was not by itself sufficient to motivate states into action. All three cases were motivated by religious or ideological opposit…
The impact of the Great Recession on the Irish drug market
This article analyses 10 years (2004–2014) of An Garda Síochána controlled drug data to investigate the impact of economic recession and globalization on the Irish illicit drug market. The limited international literature on recessions and drug markets suggests that economic downturns can increase both drug consumption and dealing. Gardaí data may, however, suggest that the 2008 Great Recession reduced drug use and dealing, yet increased the cult…
Poppies for Medicine in Afghanistan
This study examines India and Turkey as case studies relevant to the Senlis Council's 'poppies for medicine' proposal. The proposal is that Afghan farmers are licensed to produce opium for medical and scientific purposes. Here it is posited that the Senlis proposal neglects at least three key lessons from the Turkish and Indian experiences. First, not enough weight has been given to diversion from licit markets, as experienced in India. Second, b…
Afghanistan, Narcotics and the International Criminal Court
In 1989 Trinidad and Tobago approached the UN General Assembly to re-open discussion on the establishment of an international narcotics court. The proposal was borne of a frustration with the inability of less developed states to investigate and prosecute international drug traffickers and, a perceived lack of cooperation between national law enforcement and judicial agencies. 1 The proposal provided the impetus to a process which resulted in the…
Harms caused by China's 1906–17 opium suppression intervention
How the East Influenced Drug Prohibition
In much of the academic literature drug prohibition is often described as an American, or at least a Western, construct. This paper shows how prohibitions were enforced in Asian countries while the United States and Western Europe were routinely trading opium. The concept of prohibition being a distinctly American construct is, therefore, flawed. Furthermore, Western missionaries to China are often credited as important actors in the formulation …
It’s like working away for two weeks’
Going solo
This paper presents a single case study of one street gang in one London borough. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 gang members, or former gang members, and seven practitioners. The practitioners and gang members/ex-gang members reported different perspectives on how the gang was structured and drug dealing was organised. The gang members/ex-gang members suggested that the gang is a loose social network with little recognisable f…
Suppressing Illicit Opium Production
Conventional analysis of the illicit opium market suggests that source country interventions have at best achieved minimal results. Yet there are countries that have eliminated, or significantly reduced, the illicit production of opium from their territory. Drawing on a wide range of academic, official and non-governmental sources, including previously unidentified records, James Windle provides detailed narratives of countries that have achieved…
The impact of the Great Recession on the Irish drug market
This article analyses 10 years (2004–2014) of An Garda Síochána controlled drug data to investigate the impact of economic recession and globalization on the Irish illicit drug market. The limited international literature on recessions and drug markets suggests that economic downturns can increase both drug consumption and dealing. Gardaí data may, however, suggest that the 2008 Great Recession reduced drug use and dealing, yet increased the cult…
Historical Perspectives on Organized Crime and Terrorism
Why do South-east Asian states choose to suppress opium? A cross-case comparison
This paper compares the reasons given by three South-east Asian states (Laos, Thailand and Vietnam) for choosing to suppress opium production. While external pressure, often from the US or United Nations (UN)/League of Nations, is the most commonly identified reason in the literature, and was experienced in each case, it was not by itself sufficient to motivate states into action. All three cases were motivated by religious or ideological opposit…
I could have went down a different path’
Several participants were clear that none of the alternative policies discussed are silver bullets. Participates felt that, while they could reduce the harms caused by drugs and drug policies, the government's longer-term objectives should be increased treatment provision and, reduced social exclusion and economic deprivation
Criminology, Crime and Justice in Ireland
This book offers an accessible and comprehensive introduction to criminology in Ireland. Logically structured and clearly written, this book explores theory and empirical research through real-life examples from an Irish context. Engaging and challenging, this book encourages critical thinking about, and understanding of, crime and crime control in Ireland, North and South. The book covers the canon of criminological theory, from classical and ps…
The Desistance Journey
Who researches organised crime? A review of organised crime authorship trends (2004–2019)
This article presents a review of organised crime authorship for all articles published in Trends in Organized Crime and Global Crime between 2004 and 2019 (N = 528 articles and 627 individual authors). The results of this review identify a field dominated by White men based in six countries, all in the Global North. Little collaboration occurs; few studies are funded, and few researchers specialise in the area. Organised crime research, however,…
How a moral panic influenced the world’s first blanket ban on new psychoactive substances
Ireland passed the world’s first blanket ban on new psychoactive substance in 2010. This article traces the historical processes culminating in the Criminal Justice (Psychoactive Substances) Act (2010) through a systematic review of Irish media articles published between 2000 and 2010 (N = 338). The review found that head shops were largely tolerated when they sold cannabis paraphernalia (2000–2008), possibly indicating the normalisation of canna…
The victimisation of farms in Ireland
This paper explores farmer’s experiences of crime and their attitudes towards crime prevention in one rural hinterland. Farmer’s attitudes about safety and crime present a dichotomy: fear of victimisation was relatively high, yet few participants reported having been victimised, and there was a perception that agricultural crime was high in Ireland but low in their locality. Feelings of insecurity were partly influenced by the closure of rural Ga…
Desistance Journey
Five Areas Which Make the Irish Organized Crime Milieu Distinctive
This article critically assesses five areas that may together make the Irish organized crime milieu distinctive. First, there is minimal research. Second, organized crime groups and illicit enterprises are often characterized as “family-gangs.” Third, some violent conflicts are framed as family feuds. Fourth, a broad range of paramilitary groups have influenced Irish organized crime, in a variety of ways. Fifth, many organized crime groups and il…
The online exchange of conspiracy theories within an Irish extreme right wing Telegram group during the Covid-19 pandemic
The Origins of White Power Music
This paper challenges the common portrayal of White Power music as evolving from, or being an element of, Oi! punk. The paper traces the histories of White Power music and Oi!, and analyses a sample of 268 Oi! songs for racist or fascist lyrics. It shows that, while some Oi! artists and audience members were involved in far-right activism, the subculture was not itself fascist or overtly racist. Many of those involved in Oi! took action against r…
From denial to pregnancy and motherhood to 'gender informed'? Women and Ireland's alcohol and drug strategies, 1996-2025
Background Women compose a sizable percentage of individuals who consume alcohol and drugs problematically in the Republic of Ireland, and much research supports the need for gender sensitive drug policies and services. This paper reviews three decades of alcohol and drug policy in the Republic of Ireland to see how strategies have framed women.Method We initially conducted a content analysis and then a critical policy analysis of the four nation…
Criminal exploitation and vulnerability in drug markets
In the UK, the recent ‘turn to vulnerability’ in safeguarding and the criminal justice system has meant an increasing recognition that many children and vulnerable adults committing crimes, such as drug dealing, are in fact victims of criminal exploitation involving manipulation and coercion. This recognition is fairly recent, and the visibility of exploited children and adults is impacting how they are dealt with and safeguarded. In other parts …
I don’t really want to speak up because they’re on a different level to me’
This paper does not refute the association between trauma and SUD. Rather it argues that common misunderstandings of trauma and substance use, and increased use of trauma talk, may have contributed to a new form of stereotype that some with SUDs must navigate
Political science (16 works) · Sociology (14 works) · Criminology (13 works) · Law (13 works) · Crime, Illicit Activities, and Governance (9 works) · Law (9 works) · Drug (6 works) · Economics (6 works) · Medicine (6 works) · Development economics (5 works)