Dan Whyte is a UK-based criminologist, researcher, and co-director of DWRM (Doing What Really Matters), a social enterprise working to transform access to higher education for people in prison. He is currently completing a PhD in criminology, building on undergraduate and postgraduate degrees completed while serving a long sentence.
Dan’s work focuses on dismantling systemic barriers to education across the criminal justice system. Through DWRM, he leads on the design and delivery of in-prison learning models, post-release academic and career pathways, and lived experience-led consultancy that shapes national prison education policy. Under his leadership, DWRM has pioneered digital-first, trauma-informed education programmes inside prisons, and provides through-the-gate support that connects students to universities, mentors, and employment opportunities upon release. The organisation’s mission is to bridge the gap between custody and community, ensuring education continues on both sides of the gate.
Dan is committed to challenging dominant narratives about people in prison and centring lived experience in research, teaching, and reform. His work has been recognised across academia, criminal justice, and third-sector spaces. He brings a clear message: higher education in prison works — and it must be scaled, systematised, and sustained.