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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.
The iceberg explanation of police use of excessive force
/by Jeffrey Ian RossOcean going ships, are occasionally in danger of hitting an iceberg. If the vessel hits an iceberg, not only can the ship’s vital components like its propeller or rudders be impaired, thus negatively effecting the ship’s maneuverability, navigation systems, and propulsion, but the vessel’s structure may be damaged, leading to flooding and potentially sinking the […]
Exploring how graffiti and street art calls attention to social justice issues
/by Jeffrey Ian RossGraffiti and street art has a longstanding connection with political and social issues. Not only do we see this kind of activity proliferate when controversial issues are contested in urban public spaces, but we typically witness graffiti and street art when a grass roots social movement develops, or political or social revolution emerges. In recent […]
Addressing the diversity of American correctional facilities and systems
/by Jeffrey Ian RossUnless you have direct experience with incarceration, many people think that all correctional facilities and systems in the United States are the same. The reality, however, is that there’s considerable variety among the places and systems that manage the approximate 2.1 million people who are currently incarcerated. How exactly do correctional institutions and systems differ? […]