ABSTRACT
When journalists discuss social, political, or economic issues, they seek advice from experts. In response to the challenges associated with crime and justice, it seems logical to turn to criminologists who, by definition, are experts on crime and criminal justice and, as such, should be expected to use their knowledge to inform crime policy. Criminology has theories that enjoy broad empirical support but have yet to make their way into a policy or practice. The field's longtime domination by sociology as well as the academic role demands that reward research and publication over translation and application, has limited criminology's role in serving as an effective agent of social change. The advent of biosocial criminology has threatened sociology's dominance of the discipline. There are still others in the field who consider traditional criminology as a supporter of the status quo, in essence, contributing to the criminal justice system's repression of the poor and powerless in society. These and other issues in criminology must be resolved if the discipline is to inform improvements in the way crime is defined, explained, and addressed. A more easily applied theory might facilitate translational criminology.
