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About
Criminologist, Scholar, & Consultant
Jeffrey Ian Ross, Ph.D., is a criminologist at the University of Baltimore and co-founder of Convict Criminology. His approach is shaped by nearly a decade of work before entering academia, as a courier, cab driver, corrections worker, and union shop steward. It is further grounded in three decades of visiting correctional facilities across North America, Europe, and South America, researching the conditions inside them, and having conversations with convicts and correctional officers and administrators. It also draws on interviews with formerly incarcerated people outside those facilities, and on ethnographic fieldwork on street culture and on graffiti and street art internationally. Ross has published more than thirty 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.
What’s Up with All the Cutesy-Wootsy Small American Towns?
/by Jeffrey Ian RossAcross the United States, many small rural and mountain towns have adopted a carefully curated charm that feels both nostalgic and quaint. Although these picturesque settings are appealing to some, this process often results in a loss of distinctive character. Instead of reflecting a town’s authentic history or culture, visitors are presented with an idealized, […]
Appreciating Turk’s POLITICAL CRIMINALITY: THE DEFIANCE AND DEFENSE OF AUTHORITY
/by Jeffrey Ian RossAmong my favorite nonfiction scholarly books is Austin T. Turk’s Political Criminality (1982). This volume presents a well thought out analysis of why individuals resort to crimes against states (and other similar entities) and how they respond. At its core, it is an exploration of power dynamics, with a focus on political deviance and the […]
The Power of Language in Criminal Justice
/by Jeffrey Ian RossLanguage (more specifically the labels, terms, and words we use) plays a critical role in shaping how we understand and engage with the world. The words we use not only shape the subject matter we talk about, but also carry political weight, that affects perceptions and reinforces power dynamics. In this context, debates about terminology […]