Decolonising Criminology

This book contends with the question of how to decolonise criminology and discusses a number of key aspects of the debate. It sets out to consider differing aspects of criminology, including its history as a discipline, its context within the empire, its location within higher education (a system itself still steeped in colonial ideas and practices) and its relationship to criminal justice systems, with their own well-documented racially mediated brutality. It aims to expand the criminological lens and seek ways to enhance participation within criminological debate of those groups who have been excluded from participation and power. This book aims to follow a path already established by scholars in the global South, as well as engaging with marginalised communities within the global South who have not yet been fully accepted into the academy. It outlines a practical toolkit to support higher education institutions to decolonise their criminology curricula. It considers what the decolonial endeavour means within academic criminology, criminal justice-related professionals and within communities. Tracey Davanna is a criminology lecturer at London South Bank University, UK, and has over twenty years of teaching and learning experience and currently teaches at all levels of undergraduate criminology degree programmes. Esmorie Miller is a criminology lecturer at Lancaster University, UK. Her work, which spans 2003 to present, explores the role of race, racism, and racialization in contemporary youth justice. Peace Ojimba-Baldwin is an education lecturer and social sciences researcher at Brunel University and London South Bank University, UK, respectively. She is also a community educational consultant. Becky Shepherd is a criminology lecturer at London South Bank University, UK, focusing on anti-racism and women in the criminal justice system. Becky’s former career as a probation officer enabled her to see the brutality of the criminal justice system at first hand.