Peter Scharff Smith

Peter Scharff Smith is a Professor at the Department of Criminology and Sociology of Law, University of Oslo. His career spans interdisciplinary research in penology, sociology of law, human rights, and war crimes, with a focus on solitary confinement, prisoner-family dynamics, and Holocaust-related legal practices.

• Current affiliation: University of Oslo
• Past affiliations: University of Copenhagen, Cambridge University, New York University

Research interests include:

• Punishment & Human Rights: Solitary confinement effects, women in prison, children of prisoners
• Legal Consciousness: Public justice sentiments, marginalized groups' legal experiences
• War Crimes: Waffen-SS legal frameworks, techniques of Othering

Key article trends reveal sustained focus on prison reform, scandals in isolation, and historical parallels between Holocaust studies and incarceration. His work bridges empirical research and advocacy, particularly for international soft-law prison standards.

Scientific awards:

• Danish Labour History Award (1994)
• Carlsberg Clare Hall Fellowship (2003)

Methodological approach combines historical analysis, comparative Nordic studies, and practical reform projects in Danish and Norwegian corrections systems.