ABSTRACT
Convict Criminology (CC) is a relatively new perspective in the fields of criminology and criminal justice. It provides an alternative to the way crime and criminal justice problems are analyzed and interpreted by researchers, policymakers, and politicians – many of whom have had minimal contact with jails, prisons, and convicts. As a result of its theoretical, methodological, and political aims it finds a natural home in the field of critical criminology. Convict Criminologists' collective intention is to do research that incorporates the experiences of prisoners and prison workers, and attempts to balance the conventional representations of media and governments. The valuable contributions of CC continue to grow as numerous articles and books based on its perspective are added to the literature on criminology and criminal justice. At a personal level, the group provides mutual support for graduate students or junior faculty who decide to "come out" and share their first-hand experiences with the criminal justice system.
