Latest Blog Posts
About
Criminologist, Scholar, & Consultant
Jeffrey Ian Ross, Ph.D., is a criminologist at the University of Baltimore and co-founder of Convict Criminology. He brings an insider’s perspective to his work, shaped by his experience as a former courier, taxi driver, corrections worker, and union shop steward. This approach has also benefited from numerous visits to correctional facilities across North America, Europe, and South America, and firsthand research on street culture, and graffiti and street art internationally. Ross has published 30+ books and shares his expertise on corrections, policing, political crime, street culture, and graffiti and street art through scholarship, public writing, speaking, media commentary, and consulting.
Sobering Thoughts About Academics Considering Escaping the United States
/by Jeffrey Ian RossSince winning the presidency a second time, Trump and his administration have engaged in a series of actions that have negatively impacted U.S. universities and professors. These include, but are not limited to, rescinding key DEI mandates, withholding federal research and grants funding, restricting international students and visas, investigating university responses to anti-semitism, reforming educational […]
Reflections on Graffiti From the LA Anti-ICE Protests
/by Jeffrey Ian RossAlmost every major contemporary protest in the United States is accompanied by illegal graffiti and street art. The recent (June 2025) demonstrations against the presence and activities of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers in Los Angeles (not to mention the deployment of 700 National Guardsmen) are no different. The Trump administration has pointed to […]
Good Food, Great Wine, and Unforgettable Conversations: A Tribute to Vincenzo Ruggiero (1951–2024)
/by Jeffrey Ian Ross(Reprinted from the newsletter of the American Society of Criminology, Division of Critical Criminology and Social Justice, 33(1), pp. 10-13, published June 3, 2025) It is an honor to pay tribute to Vincenzo Ruggiero, a highly respected professor and criminologist at Middlesex University, who passed away earlier this year. Not only was Vincenzo a colleague, […]