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Andi Brierley is a criminologist, educator and storyteller whose journey has taken him from childhood trauma and incarceration to the university lecture theatre and public platform.
His work sits at the intersection of lived experience, criminological theory and justice reform.
He is Senior Lecturer in Criminology at Leeds Trinity University, a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and is completing a PhD exploring trust, legitimacy and lived experience within criminal justice settings.
With more than fifteen years in Youth Justice, including five years as Leeds Child Looked After Specialist, Andi worked on the frontline to reduce the criminalisation of children in care and to champion diversion, prevention and long-term change.
Born to a teenage care leaver, Andi’s early life included time in care, school exclusion, heroin addiction, child criminal exploitation and imprisonment at seventeen. His trajectory from the margins of the system to influencing it gives audiences both credibility and hope.
Andi is the author of three books on crime, justice and lived experience, and speaks nationally on desistance, legitimacy, resilience and the power of lived experience in reforming systems. His talks are honest, challenging and deeply human — inviting audiences to rethink justice, leadership and responsibility.
Above all, he speaks to possibility: no matter how dark it becomes, there is always a way forward.
Andi explores how education can become a turning point for those facing exclusion, trauma and disadvantage. Drawing on his work in youth justice and higher education, he challenges educators and leaders to rethink inclusion, belonging and opportunity, showing how the right relationships can transform outcomes.
With honesty and compassion, Andi speaks about mental health in the context of care experience, addiction, incarceration and recovery. This keynote sheds light on the realities faced by those most at risk, offering insight into trauma, stigma and what truly supports long-term wellbeing.
A powerful and hopeful keynote centred on resilience, responsibility and growth. Andi shares how lived experience, when understood and supported, can become a source of strength rather than limitation. This talk resonates with anyone navigating challenge, change or personal setback.
Drawing on his journey from instability to leadership, Andi explores how individuals and organisations can navigate uncertainty with clarity, courage and adaptability. A powerful keynote on responding to change when the path forward is unclear.
Heart breaking, funny, thought provoking and at times dark; through telling his story, Andi gives a compelling account of his life moving from care into criminality, prison and ultimately turning his life around and becoming a Youth Justice Specialist. A truly inspirational story delivered with warmth, humour and thought. Andi spoke for over an hour and I was hooked.
Andi Brierley delivered a hugely engaging talk at the recent Association of Directors of Children’s Services annual conference to an audience of local authority leaders in children’s services. Delivered from his perspective, it was an excellent insight into the direct experiences of young people who have been in care or entered the youth justice system. His story was both eye opening and inspiring which was reflected in feedback and questions from delegates. Andi now does amazing work to support children and young people facing similar challenges.
