Elliot Currie

Elliot Currie is a Professor of Criminology, Law and Society at the University of California, Irvine. A graduate of Roosevelt University and the University of California, Berkeley, his work focuses on the social and economic roots of violence, racial disparities in criminal justice, and the critique of punitive policies. His research spans drug abuse, youth violence, and global crime patterns, with a particular emphasis on the United States.

• Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley
• Co-editor, Progressive Justice in an Age of Repression
• Noted author of A Peculiar Indifference: the Neglected Toll of Violence on Black America, a New York Times Notable Book of 2020

Currie's scholarship examines the intersection of market society, inequality, and crime. His work critiques neoliberal economic systems and advocates for structural reforms to address violence and injustice.

His recent publications analyze violence reduction strategies, racialized policing, and the failures of the 'free market-tough state' ideology. These works emphasize interdisciplinary approaches, drawing on sociology, economics, and public policy.

• August Vollmer Award, American Society of Criminology
• Mentor Award, American Society of Criminology
• Benjamin L. Hooks Institute for Social Change Book Award (2004)

Currie's long-standing contributions to criminology include Pulitzer Prize finalist work and foundational texts like Crime and Punishment in America. He advocates for a public criminology that bridges academic research and policy solutions.