Expert Profile
Charis Kubrin
Professor
Charis E. Kubrin is Professor of Criminology, Law and Society and (by courtesy) Sociology.
Areas of Expertise
- Race, Ethnicity, and Crime
- Crime Trends
- Crime
- Immigration and Crime
- Rap Music and Media
- Criminal Justice Reform
Biography
Charis E. Kubrin is Professor of Criminology, Law and Society and (by courtesy) Sociology. She is also a member of the Racial Democracy, Crime and Justice- Network. Her research focuses on neighborhood correlates of crime, with an emphasis on race and violent crime. Recent work in this area examines the immigration-crime nexus across neighborhoods and cities, as well as assesses the impact of criminal justice reform on crime rates. Another line of research explores the intersection of music, culture, and social identity, particularly as it applies to hip hop and minority youth in disadvantaged communities.
Professor Kubrin has received several national awards including the Ruth Shonle Cavan Young Scholar Award from the American Society of Criminology (for outstanding scholarly contributions to the discipline of criminology); the Coramae Richey Mann Award from the Division on People of Color and Crime, the American Society of Criminology (for outstanding contributions of scholarship on race/ethnicity, crime, and justice); and the W.E.B. DuBois Award from the Western Society of Criminology (for significant contributions to racial and ethnic issues in the field of criminology). Most recently she received the Paul Tappan Award from the Western Society of Criminology (for outstanding contributions to the field of criminology). In 2019, she was named a Fellow of the American Society of Criminology.
Issues of race and justice are at the forefront of Professor Kubrin’s TEDx talk, The Threatening Nature of…Rap Music?, which focuses on the use of rap lyrics as evidence in criminal trials against young men of color. Along with Barbara Seymour Giordano, Kubrin received a Cicero Speechwriting Award for this talk in the category of “Controversial or Highly Politicized Topic.”
Media
Media Appearances
‘The bane of retail.’ To prevent theft, many big chains now lock up all kinds of merchandise
Los Angeles Times, 4/25/2024
Opinion: Laken Riley’s killing does reflect a broader danger. But it isn’t ‘immigrant crime’
Los Angeles Times, 4/1/2024
Killings by police brought reforms. Fear of crime is unraveling them.
The Washington Post, 3/10/2024
Address Showed Biden Seeking Tricky Balance on Immigration
The New York Times, 3/8/2024
The truth about illegal immigration and crime
The Washington Post, 2/29/2024
Murder of Georgia student fuels heated debate over immigration policies
PBS Newshour, 2/27/2024
Slaying of Georgia student becomes part of U.S. immigration debate
The Washington Post, 2/26/2024
I asked criminologists about immigration and crime in the US. Their answers may surprise you
CNN, 2/15/2024
Proposition 47's Impact on California's Criminal Justice System
KQED, 2/14/2024
Will murder trial finally solve mystery of Run-DMC’s Jam Master Jay?
The Guardian, 2/3/2024
Is rap on trial? How lyrics can be used against rappers in courtrooms
Miami Herald, 12/17/2023
Smash & Grab: Stealing the Season, a KNX News Town Hall
KNX News, 12/12/2023
How many inmates return to prison? Inconsistent reporting makes it hard to tell.
Stateline, 12/11/2023
S.F.’s crackdown on car break-ins has led to a staggering trend in the data. Will it last?
San Francisco Chronicle, 12/4/2023
Is shoplifting on the rise? Retail data shows it's fallen in many cities post-pandemic
USA Today, 11/16/2023
Sacramento County sheriff accuses major retail stores of stymieing efforts to stop theft
Yahoo News, 11/11/2023
Articles
Sanctuary Status and Crime in California: What’s the Connection?
Justice Evaluation Journal, 1/1/1970
Medical Marijuana Laws and Suicide
Archives of Suicide Research, 1/1/1970
Institutional Completeness and Crime Rates in Immigrant Neighborhoods
Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, 1/1/1970
Imagining violent criminals: an experimental investigation of music stereotypes and character judgments
Journal of Experimental Criminology, 1/1/1970
Can We Downsize Our Prisons and Jails Without Compromising Public Safety?
Criminology & Public Policy, 1/1/1970
Immigration and Crime: Assessing a Contentious Issue
Annual Reviews, 1/1/1970
Suicide in Happy Places: Is There Really a Paradox?
Journal of Happiness Studies, 1/1/1970
The Threatening Nature of “Rap” Music
Psychology, Public Policy, and Law, 1/1/1970
Education
University of Washington
PhD, Sociology
Accomplishments
- Ruth Shonle Cavan Young Scholar Award
- Coramae Richey Mann Award
- W.E.B. DuBois Award
- Paul Tappan Award
Affiliations
- American Society of Criminology : Fellow