THE ASC ANNOUNCES A NEW DIVISION
The Division of Experimental Criminology
The Executive Board of the American Society of Criminology has established a new Division of Experimental Criminology. The purpose of the Division is “the promotion and improvement of experimental evidence and methods in the advancement of criminological theory and evidence-based crime policy.”
Underpinning the establishment of the new Division of Experimental Criminology is the growing use of randomized experiments by ASC members. This is indicated by growing evidence, for example:
- The founding of the Academy of Experimental Criminology in 1998, whose 50 Fellows meet annually at ASC with open ASC panel sessions (see http://www.crim.upenn.edu/aec/ )
- The founding of the Campbell Crime and Justice Group in 2000, which has now completed 22 full systematic reviews of experimental and quasi-experimental evidence (see http://www.campbellcollaboration.org/reviews_crime_justice/index.php )
- The founding of the Journal of Experimental Criminology in 2005, and its high citation counts.
- The growing attendance at all Academy of Experimental Criminology events held at ASC in recent years, including the annual Joan McCord Prize Lecture.
- The growing interest among graduate students in experimental methods.
- The increasing interest among ASC members in offering rigorous evidence on policy effectiveness as manifest in articles in Criminology & Public Policy.
- The establishment of two registries for randomized trials at www.crim.cam.ac.uk/experiments
The field of experimental criminology is
unified by the practical and theoretical problems in designing, delivering,
analyzing, interpreting and synthesizing randomized controlled field
experiments. This unity is clear in the standard objectives of such designs as
required by the multi-disciplinary CONSORT statement (see http://www.consort-statement.org/ ). It is also clear that there are great complexities and challenges in
delivering high-quality experiments under the standards of field research set
by the CONSORT statement organization. These problems provided fertile ground
for the coming together of an intellectual community that will now be
recognized and supported in the form of an ASC Division.
At its organizational meeting in 2009, organizing
Division Chair Doris MacKenzie of
Pennsylvania State University
nominated the
following officers, who were duly elected by vote of those present:
CHAIR:
Lawrence Sherman, Cambridge University and
University
of
Pennsylvania
VICE CHAIR:
Lorraine
Mazerolle, University of Queensland
SECRETARY-TREASURER: Todd Armstrong,
Sam Houston State University
EXECUTIVE COUNSELORS:
Lynette Feder,
Portland State University
Peter
Greenwood, Association for the Advancement of Evidence-Based Practice
David
Weisburd, Hebrew University and George Mason University
The Division also
created the following committees, and appointed the chairs indicated in
parentheses with their email addresses below. Any member of the new Division
who is interested in joining any of these committees is invited to contact the
committee chair.
Divisional
Committees
Awards (David Weisburd dweisbur@gmu.edu)
Mentorship (Peter Greenwood peter.greenwood@sbcglobal.net )
Outreach (Lynette Feder lfeder@pdx.edu )
Training (Lorraine Mazerolle l.mazerolle@uq.edu.au)
Website (Lawrence Sherman Lawrence.Sherman@crim.cam.ac.uk )
Future meetings of the DEC at annual ASC
conferences will include training sessions in experimental methods, mentoring
and “grand rounds” discussions of managing experiments, social events and the
presentation of awards for excellence in experimental criminology.
Dues for the 2010 membership year are $35
and $10 for students. Membership dues include a free print and electronic
subscription to the JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL CRIMINOLOGY (see http://www.springer.com/social+sciences/criminology/journal/11292 ). Student membership dues include free on-line access to the same
journal.
To join the Division of
Experimental Criminology, send a credit card order or check with a notation for
“DEC Membership” ($35) or “DEC Student Membership” ($10) in the on-line ASC
membership renewal or joining page at http://www.asc41.com/appform1.html.
For
more information about the Division or suggestions for its mandate, please contact:
Professor Lawrence W.
Sherman, Chair
Division of Experimental
Criminology
American Society of
Criminology
Director, Jerry Lee Centre
for Experimental Criminology
Institute of
Criminology
University of
Cambridge
Sidgwick Avenue
Cambridge CB3 9DA
United Kingdom
US Phone (+1) 267-269-1757
Email: Lawrence.Sherman@crim.cam.ac.uk
Website:
www.crim.cam.ac.uk/experiments
