In Memoriam
Barbara Hudson, a much loved graduate student in the department in the late 1970’s and 1980’s, has died unexpectedly. Ken Plummer recalls her as a truly lively and engaged student who loved Gadamer and Criminology! She added hugely to the life of the department during her time here, was a much loved teacher, and a lively stalwart of the Labour Party. She returned to give a 40th anniversary lecture in the department ten years ago, by which time she was Professor of Criminology.
She wrote to Ken Plummer in January to express her sadness at the deaths of Mary McIntosh, and her beloved supervisor Stan Cohen:
“I am now retired and have that strange Emeritus Professor status. Still doing a bit of writing and a few lectures. I’ve had a wonderful experience of spending a month or so in Brazil every year for seven years, working with the Ministerio Publico in the state of Parana, and doing some teaching on a Masters course in law and human rights. And I’ve also been involved in a research project with Oslo, which seems to be carrying forward the critical criminology of Nils and Thomas. Apart from this, I’m growing roses and doing water colour paintings. I’ve been very happily living with Harry since 1985, which seems a miracle given the ups and downs of my time in Colchester”.
Eamonn Carrabine commented:
It is with great sadness that we learnt of Barbara’s sudden death on Monday September 9th. For over three decades she has been at the forefront of shaping debates in and around the sociology of punishment. At the core of her work is a deep and abiding interest in social justice, and her more recent work remained committed to challenging inequalities by focussing on the construction of difference, the criminalisation of migration and the questions posed by security since 9/11.
The message we received about her death said:
I am very sad to inform you that on Monday afternoon (9th September) Barbara Hudson died suddenly whilst on holiday in Greece. Barbara was not only an enormous influence and inspiration for members of the European Group over the last three decades but also a close personal friend to many. Her untimely death has come as a terrible shock and her family have asked for privacy for the next few days. I realise that many people will want to send their condolences and also wish to know about funeral arrangements. The European Group want to commemorate Barbara in accordance with the wishes of her family and so we will send you further details regarding how members can send condolences in the coming days. Barbara was a wonderful person who possessed not only a remarkable intellect but also a wonderful sense of compassion and understanding for others. She will be greatly missed by very many people.
David
European Group for the Study of Deviance and Social Control
STORIESofESSEXSOCIOLOGY 