Welcome to Rutgers School of Criminal Justice!

Thank you for your interest in us. Whether you are a current or prospective student, a parent, a fellow researcher, or just generally curious, our website provides lots of opportunities to learn about us.

Founded in 1974 by an act of the New Jersey Legislature, the School of Criminal Justice is committed to advancing education and scholarship on crime and justice at the highest level. Our mission is to prepare graduates to become thoughtful, effective, and respected professionals in the field. Our faculty are leaders in shaping criminal justice policy and advancing criminological theory, while our alumni rank among the most productive and influential scholars and professionals nationwide. We are driven by a deep concern for public safety and social justice, employing rigorous methodologies and diverse theoretical perspectives to address complex issues that impact people’s lives. This commitment fosters meaningful engagement with communities, professionals, and policymakers, all in service of shaping both the understanding and the practice of justice.

Importantly, our school is committed to engaging in authentic partnerships in the Newark community, providing data analysis and research support to inform efforts to improve safety and access to justice in the city we call home.

If you have not already done so, please check the updates at the bottom of our home page. There you will find news about our faculty and students’ work, ranging from our publications and press releases, to awards we’ve been given to apps we’ve developed. Together, we are driven by a passionate concern about problems of crime, public security, inequality, and social justice and aim to apply our knowledge and scholarship to address these challenges. Our interests are as diverse as our backgrounds, our training, and the local environment within which we work.

Our Undergraduate and Graduate pages provide details about our programs, such as our joint degree programs, and our Bachelor of Arts in Social Justice. Our Research page provides links to our activities, such as the Newark Public Safety Collaborative and the NJ-Step prison education program. Our involvement with these centers reflects our deep engagement with people, policymakers, advocacy groups, and the public, both here and abroad.

As researchers and instructors, we are committed to supporting a more humane criminal justice system, to change the way people think about crime and justice, and to advance ideas for how better address inequalities.

Again, thank you for visiting our website and for your interest in us. Please reach out to me and other members of the Rutgers School of Criminal Justice community with your questions and comments.

All the best.

Nancy La Vigne, Dean

Rutgers University School of Criminal Justice