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.

The School of Criminal Justice at Rutgers University-Newark was founded in 1974 by an act of the New Jersey Legislature and opened its doors to students a year later. It is the only school in America with this type of legal charter. Our mission has always been to produce scholarship of the highest quality on crime and justice, provide state and local justice agencies with crucial evidence and consultation to improve the policy and practice of criminal justice, and support students to become productive and respected scholars, practitioners, and reformers in our field.

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 various Centers focused on public security, as well 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