Entries by Jeffrey Ian Ross

How to Think Like a Criminologist

There’s a big gap between what the general public thinks criminologists do and what we actually do. Most people assume we work in forensics, consult on detective cases, or spend our days profiling serial killers. That’s understandable. The media leans hard into that image, and some criminologists do work in forensic-adjacent fields. But I’m an […]

After Three Decades, Here’s What I Wish Someone Had Told Me

For nearly 30 years, students and early-career academics have asked me the same questions about building a career in academic criminology: How do you choose a research agenda? How do you navigate tenure? How do you balance teaching, research, and service? What works? What doesn’t? I’ve answered these questions in office hours, at conferences, over […]

How U.S. Federal Prisons Fail International Human Rights Standards

My recent article, published in The Prison Journal, documents how the United States Federal Bureau of Prisons (FBOP) violates the Nelson Mandela Rules. These standards, adopted by the United Nations in 2015, outline the international minimum standards for humane detention. Drawing on government reports, bipartisan congressional investigations, peer-reviewed research, and investigative journalism, the study identifies […]

Reading Codrescu’s NEW ORLEANS, MON AMOUR 

Apéritif One of my favorite books is New Orleans, Mon Amour: Twenty Years of Writings from the City by Andrei Codrescu. A poet, essayist, novelist, and professor emeritus at Louisiana State University, Codrescu is also widely known for his commentaries on National Public Radio. Published in 2006, New Orleans, Mon Amour is primarily a collection […]

What Are the Most Important Questions to Ask About US Prison Conditions?

In the United States, numerous standards have been developed for the operation of correctional facilities. States and the federal government have constitutional protections. Professional bodies like the American Correctional Association and the American Jail Association offer accreditation. Courts have weighed in repeatedly. And yet most people who have spent time inside a correctional facility as […]