Spotlight Feature: The Impactful Career of Professor Graham Towl. October 2023 is when you are trained on data. Graham Toal is a professor here in the Department of Psychology at Durham University, specializing in Forensic Psychology. He has tried to save and improve lives at every step of his career. His focus has always been on people, whether they be in prisons or universities.
From Psychology to Helping People
Graham’s interest was about understanding people and their behaviours. This was his reason for coming to psychology, where he began understanding this much deeper through scientific tools and also realized that psychology was not a discipline but an avenue through which an individual could reduce suffering in people.
Beginning Suicide Prevention in Prison
Many prison suicides have happened as Graham worked as a psychologist in prisons in the 1990s. It rocked him deeply and left him with the strong desire to mitigate the effect of this serious intervention. Very soon, he was at the top of Psychological Services for the Prison and Probation Services of England and Wales. He was the chief psychologist of the Ministry of Justice.
Psychological services in prisons underwent huge extension, from initially just 400 well trained people in that area, increasing to more than 1,000. He also structured and created a national framework of how such services could be implemented much better and systematically.
A step towards saving lives through Research
Graham has done research into the triggers for prisoners who commit suicide. He worked on techniques that would identify those prisoners who are troubled within and not outspoken. His research could save millions of lives.
Term with Durham University and big study
For Graham, this was to become a “homecoming to this university” since he came from the North East. He took up professorship at Durham University in 2008, and for 2015, he was part of the Harris Review. This review examined more than 2,000 prison suicides which occurred from 1978 to 2013. At that time, it was the largest and most comprehensive study undertaken.
Change at the College Level in Combating Sexual Violence
From 2011 to 2016, Graham held the post of Pro-Vice Chancellor of Durham University. He launched a special task force during this time to tackle the issue of sexual abuse within the university. The topic was very raw within the higher education sector at the time and Graham’s team set an example.
With that, Durham University became the first university in the UK to appoint a full-time specialist to tackle sexual violence. Graham has also authored several books and research papers focusing on this discussion. The new policies in 2025 will come from a review he carried out of the sexual harassment guidelines of the Office for Students.
Results Matter More than Awards
Graham has recently been given the Lifetime Achievement Award from the British Psychological Society. This is a high recognition of his own work and that of his colleagues. However, for him, the most important factor is that his work has brought about real change.
He is still active in policy-making and case studies. He has been called back to investigate the recent suicides that occurred in Scottish prisons. For him, saving lives in prisons or obtaining justice on behalf of a student is far bigger than trophies or awards themselves.
Conclusion
Professor Graham Towl’s career exemplifies a rare blend of academic excellence, public service, and meaningful advocacy for mental health and campus safety. His work has significantly influenced university policies, particularly around student well-being, suicide prevention, and safeguarding practices. Through his roles in academia and as a former Chief Psychologist at the Ministry of Justice, he has consistently championed ethical leadership and psychological resilience. Towl’s legacy is not only in research but also in real-world reforms that have improved countless lives. As education and mental health challenges evolve, his voice continues to shape thoughtful, progressive approaches for the future.
