Convict Criminology

The New School of Convict Criminology

The conference presentations were used to build a working group of ex-convict and nonconvict critical criminologists to invent the “new school of convict criminology.” This is a new criminology led by ex-convicts who are now academic faculty. These men and women, who have worn both prison uniforms and academic regalia, served years behind prisons walls, and now as academics are the primary architects of the movement. As ex-convicts currently employed at universities, the convict criminologists openly discuss their personal history and distrust of mainstream criminology.

Regardless of criminal history, all the group members share a desire to go beyond “managerial” and “armchair” criminology by conducting research that includes ethnography and the inside perspective. In contrast to normative academic practice, the “convict criminologists” hold no pretense for value-free criminology and are partisan and proactive in their discourse. This includes merging convict, ex-convict, and critical voices in their writing. As Rideau and Wikberg (1992) wrote, “That's the reality, and to hell with what the class-room bred, degree toting, grant-hustling ‘experts’ say from their well-funded, air-conditioned offices far removed from the grubby realities of the prisoners' lives” (p. 59).

Convict Criminologists

The ex-convicts can be described, in terms of academic experience, as three distinct cohorts. The first are the more senior members, full and associate professors, some with distinguished research records. A second group of assistant professors is just beginning to contribute to the field. The third, only some of whom have been identified, are graduate student ex-convicts.

While all these individuals provide convict criminology with unique and original experiential resources, some of the most important contributors may yet prove to be scholars who have never served prison time. A number of these authors have worked inside prisons or have conducted extensive research on the subject. The inclusion of these “non-cons” in the new school's original cohort provides the means to extend the influence of the convict criminology while also supporting existing critical criminology perspectives.

Convict criminologists recognize that they are not the first to criticize the prison and correctional practices. They pay their respects to those who have raised critical questions about prisons and suggested realistic humane reforms. The problem they are most concerned with is that identified by Todd Clear in the foreword to Richard McCleary's Dangerous Men (1978/1992): “Why does it seem that all good efforts to build reform systems seems inevitably to disadvantage the offender?” The answer is that, despite the best intentions, reform systems were never intended to help convicts. Reformers rarely even bothered to ask the convicts what reforms they desired. The new school “con-sultants” correct this problem by entering prisons and directly asking the prisoners what they want and need.

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