Jeffrey Ian Ross, Ph.D. is a scholar, professor, and criminologist specializing in the fields of policing, corrections, political crime, violence, abnormal-extreme criminal behavior, and crime and justice in American Indian communities. Since 1998 Ross has been a professor at the University of Baltimore. He is currently the co-chair of the Division of Critical Criminology of the American Society of Criminology. Ross is an award winning author, co-author, editor, and co-editor of numerous books.
Education
In 1979, Ross gained admittance to the pre-University program at the University of Toronto, graduating in 1985 with a bachelor's degree in Political Science and Psychology. While attending the University of Toronto, Ross worked first as a crisis intervention counselor at Toronto East General Hospital and then both part-time and full-time for four years at Metro Toronto Forensic Services, a state run correctional facility. In 1985, Ross began his master's of political science degree at the University of Colorado under the supervision of Ted Robert Gurr. He graduated with a Ph.D. in 1993.
Career
From 1990-1991, while completing his doctorate, Ross worked as Research Associate at the International Center for Comparative Criminology at the University of Montreal. He began as an Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of Lethbridge, Alberta in 1991. Two years later, Ross worked as an Assistant Professor for the Department of Criminal Justice Sciences, Kent State University. From 1995-1998, he worked as Social Science Analyst for the National Institute of Justice. He later started as a Visiting Professor in the Division of Criminology, Criminal Justice, and Social Policy at the University of Baltimore in 1998; after fourteen years, he was promoted to Full Professor in the School of Criminal Justice at University of Baltimore. Ross is the co-chair of the Division on Critical Criminology of the American Society of Criminology.
Oppositional political terrorism
His earliest research is in the field of oppositional political terrorism. Ross has specialized in the causal dynamics of OPT. Using quantitative research, Ross developed Attributes of Terrorism in Canada, the first data base on OPT in Canada, which was later acquired by the Solicitor General of Canada. This research led Ross to be an expert witness for the Canadian Senate's Special Committee on Terrorism and Public Safety. This source of data, was used in a series of quantitative research studies Ross conducted during the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Policing
In the field of policing, Ross has examined the challenges facing police departments operating in both western and non-western communities; how incidents of police violence/excessive force come to public attention, and whether this sets an agenda for the police organization to change; and the myths of community policing. Ross has written two books in this area: Making News of Police Violence, and Policing Issues: Challenges and Controversies.
Corrections
Ross’ research in the area of corrections has focused on understanding problems in this branch of the criminal justice system. Ross is also interested in high security prisons, and edited The Globalization of Supermax Prisons. Ross is the co-author of Behind Bars: Surviving Prison and Beyond Bars: Rejoining Society After Prison. Ross is co-founder of the Convict Criminology movement in the field of criminology/criminal justice.
Political crime/state crime
Ross wrote The Dynamics of Political Crime, and the follow up book Introduction to Political Crime. In the field of state crime, the bulk of Ross’ research has focused on the problem of controlling state crime. This has led to two edited books: Controlling State Crime: An Introduction, and Varieties of State Crime and Its Control.
Crime and justice in American Indian communities
Ross has also published in the area of crime and justice in American Indian communities. This includes Native Americans and the Criminal Justice System, and American Indians at Risk.
Publications
Ross has published extensively in the fields of criminology and criminal justice:
