Hazel published the first national study of the impact of poverty and disadvantage on parenting in Britain. Reported in the book Parenting in Poor Environments, the study of coping and support for families living in poverty was described by Bob Holman in the British Journal of Social Work as "an important study which lifts the curtain on if and how poor parents cope in deprived areas". Community Care stated that its "crucial findings" formed "an emphatic message to practitioners" to ensure more evidence-based support. He also conducted the United Kingdom's first national study of parental discipline. Its findings led to a national campaign by the NSPCC in 2005 against the physical punishment of children. Hazel’s book on Engaging Fathers in Preventive Services introduced the concept of “gender differentiated” parenting support. The research challenged existing feminised family services by showing the importance of catering to the particular needs and experiences of men in order to engage them. This approach has since been adopted as a standard requirement of family services by policy makers in Great Britain.
Criminal justice research
Hazel conducted the first study of young offenders' views of their experiences throughout the criminal justice system in England. He also produced the official government evaluation of the main youth custodial sentence in England and Wales and several evaluations of government schemes for resettlement after prison. His 2001 article revealing common patterns behind the rise and fall of types of youth custodial institutions is listed by Youth Justice as both one of its most cited and most read articles. Hazel's cross-national analysis of youth justice systems is used as the basis of international comparisons in Ministry of Justice official youth justice statistics. It was also used and credited in the 2013 documentary film, Kids for Cash. His framework and five principles for effective reentry support for juvenile offenders were described by the Youth Justice Minister as "a gold standard for resettlement planning". They have since been adopted by the Ministry of Justice, HM Prison and Probation Service and Youth Justice Board as a common policy approach to reform youth detention across England and Wales, called Constructive Resettlement. His other publications from the same research programme with Nacro include a report revealing psychological suffering by young people after release from custody, a new model for how to address the specific needs of girls and young women leaving prison, and guidance on ensuring better engagement from young offenders.
Public appointments
In 2013, Hazel was appointed as an advisor to the HM Inspectorate of Probation for inspection of services across England and Wales for youth reentry after detention. From 2014 to 2015, he served in the newly created role of Her Majesty's Deputy Chief Inspector of Probation for England and Wales, responsible for strategy at HMIP. During his time at HMIP, he designed a method of inspecting criminal justice agencies that focused on evaluating whether and how services were impacting on offenders, rather than the previous practice of auditing services' processes. He also introduced the strategic aim for HMIP to improve the wellbeing of children at risk of reoffending, and a peer review system to check the quality of inspection reports. In January 2018, he was appointed by the Secretary of State for Justice to sit on the Youth Justice Board, responsible for overseeing the youth justice system in England and Wales. He was previously a member of the YJB's Expert Advisory Board for developing government policy on youth reentry after detention.
Selected publications
Engaging Fathers in Preventive Services York, YPS.
Parenting in Poor Environments: Stress, Support and Coping London, Jessica Kingsley.
