Convict Criminology

Criminological debates often lack the perspective of those experts who have personally experienced the criminal sanctions system and imprisonment. Over the last 25 years, a "convict criminology" has therefore emerged, with a focus on North America, which specifically incorporates these experiences - and the people who have had them - into scientific criminology. In a narrower definition, a "convict criminologist" can be a researcher who has been convicted of a criminal offense and usually has experience of imprisonment and has at least a doctorate in a criminologically relevant subject, at best working professionally in a university context.

Criminological debates often lack the perspective of those experts who have experienced the criminal justice system's sanctions and imprisonment personally. During the last 25 years, mainly in Northern America, a "Convict Criminology" has developed which systematically includes these experiences - as well as the persons who have made them - into academic criminology.

In German-speaking countries, no "Convict Criminologists" in this narrower sense have yet become known. At the symposium, we want to address the question of why this is the case and whether and how it could be changed.

In the German speaking countries no "convict criminologists" in this narrow sense have come to be known. During our workshop, we want to deal with the question why this is the case and if as well as how this could be changed.

As an introduction to this subject, Jeffrey Ian Ross, one of the co-founders of 'Convict Criminology', will present the intention, development and significance of Convict Criminology in North America, but also its further spread in other (European) countries.

As an introduction to this subject, Jeffrey Ian Ross, one of the co-founders of Convict Criminology will introduce into this subject by describing the intention, development and relevance of Convict Criminology in Northern America but also its prevalence in further (European) countries.

In the course of our workshop, we will present projects and persons belonging to the German-speaking context, who are at least dedicated to the aim of Convict Criminology to strengthen the consideration of convict's and (ex-)prisoners' experiences in the academic debate:

In the course of our workshop, we will present projects and persons belonging to the German speaking context, who are at least dedicated to the aim of Convict Criminology to strengthen the consideration of convict's and (ex-)prisoner's experiences in academic debate.

• The Prison Archive at the University of Fachhochschule Dortmund: Free legal advice for prisoners and research on the (legal) reality of prisons based on this correspondence.
• The Pr ison Archive at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts in Dortmund: It offers free legal advice to prisoners and bases its research on the reality of prison (law) on its correspondence with prisoners.

• #BigDreams: Diverse collective of artists, activists and researchers who have been working on Brian's case for two and a half years. Brian himself is a member of the collective, which organizes artistic and discursive formats such as performances, exhibitions and panels. Artistic means are used in an attempt to adopt a new perspective on Brian's case. In numerous transdisciplinary collaborations, the topics of structural racism, the penal system and resocialization, human rights and media-economic processes are negotiated.
• #BigDreams: Diverse collective of artists, activists, and scholars that has been working on Brian's case for two and a half years. Brian himself is a member of the collective, which organizes artistic and discursive formats such as performances, exhibitions and podiums. Artistic means are used to take a new perspective on Brian's case. In numerous transdisciplinary collaborations, the topics of structural racism, prison and resocialization, human rights and media-economical processes are negotiated.

• Universityin prison: Studying together of prisoners and law students with the aim of opening up studies as a perspective for prisoners and providing external students with insights into the prisoners' experience of imprisonment.
• University in prison: Studying together of prisoners and law students with the aim to open up university studies to prisoners as well as offer insights into the experience of prison by prisoners to external students.

• Klaus Jünschke: Social scientist and former prisoner who now works as a non-fiction author in the field of criminology.
• KlausJünschke: Social scientist and former prisoner who today works as an author of non-fiction books in the field of criminology.

Christine Graebsch(Opens in a new tab) , lawyer and criminologist, professor at the Faculty of Applied Social Studies at Dortmund University of Applied Sciences and Arts and head of the prison archive(Opens in a new tab)  there. Publications on the law and reality of prisons, crime migration, desistance and evidence-based crime prevention. She also teaches about the penal system at the Universities of Hamburg (Master of Criminology) and Bremen (law, legal advice for prisoners as a legal clinic).

Christine Graebsch(Opens in a new tab) , lawyer and criminologist, professor at the Faculty of Applied Social Studies of the University of Applied Social Sciences in Dortmund and head of the Prison Archive(Opens in a new tab)  located there. Publications on law and reality of imprisonment, crimmigration, desistance and evidence-based crime prevention. Lectures on imprisonment also at the University of Hamburg (Master of Criminology) and Bremen (Legal clinic for prison law).

Sven Burkhardt(Opens in a new tab) , lawyer and deputy professor at the Faculty of Applied Social Studies at Fachhochschule Dortmund and member of the prison archive there. Practices as a lawyer with a focus on the enforcement of sentences and prison law. Publications in the field of prison law and international criminal law.

http://www.bremer-recht.de/publikationen.html(Opens in a new tab) 

Sven Burkhardt(Opens in a new tab) , lawyer and interim professor at the Faculty of Applied Social Studies of the University of Applied Social Sciences in Dortmund and member of the Prison Archive located there. Lawyers practice mainly in the area of criminal-law-based placements in a psychiatric clinic, the execution of sanctions and prison law. Publications in the field of prison law and international criminal law.

Johannes Feest(Opens in a new tab) , lawyer and social scientist, retired Professor of Prison Law, founder of the Prison Archive at the University of Bremen. Co-founder of the first (and for more than 40 years only) Legal Clinic for prisoners in Germany. From 1995-1997 scientific director of the International Institute for the Sociology of Law in Oñati, Spain. Publications on the law and legal reality of the penal system, abolitionism, legal cultures, police research.

Johannes Feest, lawyer and social scientist, retired professor for prison law, founder of the Prison Archive at the University of Bremen. Co-founder of the first (and for more than 40 years only) legal clinic for prison law in Germany. From 1995-97 Scientific Director of the International Institute for the Sociology of Law in Oñati, Spain. Publications on law and reality of imprisonment, abolitionism, legal cultures, and police research.

Jeffrey Ian Ross(Opens in a new tab) , Professor at the University of Baltimore, USA, in the Department of Criminal Justice and Public Affairs, researcher at the Center for International and Comparative Law and the Schaefer Center for Public Policy. He was a visiting professor at the Ruhr University Bochum and the University of Padua. During the 1980s he worked for more than four years in a prison. He has published on corrections, street culture, policing, political crime, state crime and crime by the powerful, and the criminal justice system among indigenous Americans. He is a co-founder of Convict Criminology and co-editor and author of key works on the subject, including "Convict Criminology" (co-edited with Stephen C. Richards, Wadsworth Publishing 2003) and "Convict Criminology for the Future" (co-edited with Francesca Vianello, Routledge 2021).

Jeffrey Ian Ross, professor at the University of Baltimore, School of Criminal Justice, College of Public Affairs, research fellow in the Center for International and Comparative Law, and the Schaefer Center for Public Policy. He was visiting professor at Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Germany, and University of Padua, Italy. During the early 1980s, Jeff worked for almost four years in a correctional institution. Publications about prison, street culture, policing, political crime, state crime, crimes of the powerful, violence and criminal justice in American Indian communities. He is co-founder of Convict Criminology and co-editor and author of important publications on this subject, i.a. "Convict Criminology" (together with Stephen C. Richards, Wadsworth Publishing 2003) and "Convict Criminology for the Future" (together with Francesca Vianello, Routledge 2021).

Mohamedou Oud Slahi: Born in Mauritania; studied electrical engineering at the University of Duisburg-Essen; imprisoned in Guantánamo Bay from 2002 without charge and only released in 2016 because there was no evidence of his alleged involvement in the attacks of September 11, 2001. Subsequent public confrontation with this experience, publication of the "Guantánamo Diary" (2015), which became an international bestseller; film "The Mauritanian" by Kevin Macdonald. He dealt specifically with the question of how he came to be tortured in Guantánamo and how torture affects the tortured, but above all the torture itself, and how it can be dealt with. In addition, NDR podcast in 12 episodes "Slahi - 14 years Guantanamo(Opens in a new tab) ".

Mohamedou Oud Slahi: Born in Mauretania; study of electrical engineering at the University of Duisburg-Essen in Germany; since 2002 detained without indictment at Guantánamo Bay; released not before 2016 because no peace of evidence for his alleged contribution to the 9/11 attacks was found. Afterwards public examination of his respective experience, publication of the "Guantánamo Diary(Opens in a new tab) " (2015) which became an international bestseller; film "The Mauretanian" by Kevin Macdonald. He especially delt with the question how it could happen that he had been tortured in Guantánamo, and what the consequences of torture are for those who have been tortured but also for those who have tortured, and how could be dealt with it.

Klaus Jünschke(Opens in a new tab) , social scientist, former member of the Red Army Faction, sentenced to life imprisonment in 1977 and pardoned in 1988, now a non-fiction author with publications in the field of criminology and the penal system. The book by Klaus Jünschke, Jörg Hauenstein and Christiane Ensslin "Pop-Shop: Gespräche mit Jugendlichen in Haft". konkret-Literatur-Verlag Hamburg 2007 was written on the basis of a discussion group in a juvenile detention center. Three-year collaboration on a research project at the University of Cologne on the over-representation of young people without a German passport in prisons. Currently running a storytelling workshop with prisoners(Opens in a new tab)  with no fixed abode.

Klaus Jünschke: Social scientist, former member of the Red Army Fraction, convicted to life term imprisonment in 1977, granted reprieve in 1988, today author of publications in the field of criminology and imprisonment. The book by Klaus Jünschke, Jörg Hauenstein and Christiane Ensslin "Pop-Shop: Gespräche mit Jugendlichen in Haft". konkret-Literatur-Verlag Hamburg 2007 is based on a discussion group in a juvenile's prison. Three years of working for a research project at the University of Cologne on the overrepresentation of Non-German juveniles in prison. Currently conducting a story workshop with prisoners who are homeless.

Julian Knop: criminologist, research associate at the Institute for Rehabilitation Sciences at Humboldt University in Berlin and head of the non-profit organization Tatort Zukunft. Publication on the law and legal reality of the penal system, juvenile criminal law and desistance.

Julian Knop: criminologist, research associate at the Institute for Rehabilitation Sciences at the Humboldt University in Berlin and head of the non-profit organization Tatort Zukunft. Publication on law and reality of imprisonment, juvenile criminal law and desistance.