Anti-Racist Criminology: Research, Teaching, and Public Engagement

Bys: Rajah, Valli, Umamaheswar, Janani, Osborn, Max

A long overdue reckoning

With one critical eye on criminology's problematic past and a second hopeful eye on a better future, Anti-Racist Criminology offers a clear vision for how criminologists can transform their work while resisting the racist logics that have informed harmful policies and practices in the criminal legal system.

Drawing a historical line from the eugenicist ideas of Cesare Lombroso and other foundational theorists to contemporary crime control measures such as "stop and frisk," the authors demonstrate how criminological ideas, statistics, and modeling have long shaped--and distorted--public understanding of crime and punishment, with lasting consequences for communities of color.

The authors go on to offer a "how-to" for academics interested in anti-racist work by answering three central questions: why it's important for criminologists to embrace anti-racism, what anti-racist principles criminologists should incorporate into their work, and who should take on this work and in what contexts. Ultimately, Anti-Racist Criminology empowers readers to reimagine how they design research projects, teach, and interact with communities as they participate in a broader movement for social justice and equity.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1479837849
• ISBN13: 9781479837847
• Release Date: December 2026
• Publisher: New York University Press
• Length: 248 Pages