Our Mission
We are establishing a professional organization to advance the economic analysis of criminal behavior and the efforts to limit its social consequences. Economic research has contributed substantially to the scientific understanding of how behavior and policy determine public safety — and how public safety, in turn, affects the economy and society at large.
Yet no professional home currently connects scholars studying crime and justice from an economic perspective, supports its early-career members, and represents the field in public conversation. The Association will provide that infrastructure: scholarly exchange, career development at every stage, and thoughtful engagement with policy.
How We Got Here
In February 2026, a survey of the economics-of-crime community gauged interest in creating a professional association and a field journal. The response was overwhelmingly positive. Since then, a founding group of fifteen volunteers, drawn from survey respondents who offered to help organize, has been working to turn that interest into reality — handling incorporation, governance, budgeting, communications, and membership planning. A journal may follow, though the plan is to establish the Association first.
Once the Association has been legally formed and its basic infrastructure is in place, we will hold a broader membership drive and an election for the board.
What the Association Will Do
Scholarly Exchange
An open-access working paper series, an annual conference with dedicated early-career programming, coordination across existing workshops, and year-round virtual seminars.
Career Development
Cross-institution mentoring, pipeline support from undergraduates through early-career faculty, and coordinated job-market visibility for crime-economics positions.
Education & Field Identity
Annual research and service awards, shared teaching materials, and professional development workshops for researchers and practitioners entering the field.
Public Engagement & Field Integrity
Promoting access to administrative criminal-justice data, open-science and replication norms, and a shared code of professional conduct.
These activities are illustrative of the Association's first few years; a Founding Board will set priorities and sequencing.
Who We Are
The Association is a home for social scientists engaged in economic research on crime, criminal justice, and public safety. We welcome scholars at every career stage — in academia, government, and the broader research community, from every region of the world — whose work is grounded in economic theory, statistical analysis, and quantitative data.
The Association does not engage in criminal-justice advocacy.
Leadership
A founding board and organizational committee are handling the initial work of establishing the Association. A full board election will follow once the Association is formally established.
Founding Board
- Amanda Agan, President — Cornell University
- Anne Piehl, Governance Director — Rutgers University
- Michael Mueller-Smith, Finance Director — University of Michigan
- Darwyyn Deyo, At-Large Director — San Jose State University
- Richard Hahn, At-Large Director — Niskanen Center
- Mikkel Mertz, At-Large Director — The ROCKWOOL Foundation
- Emily Owens, At-Large Director — UC Irvine
- Nishith Prakash, At-Large Director — Northeastern University
- Mariyana Zapryanova, At-Large Director — Smith College
Organizational Committee
All founding board members, together with:
- Richard Boylan — Rice University
- Jillian Carr — Purdue University
- Takuma Kamada — The University of Osaka
- JJ Naddeo — Census Bureau
- Kevin Schnepel — Simon Fraser University
- Erdal Tekin — American University
Stay Informed
Show your support and indicate your interest in becoming a member. Responses will form the foundation of the Association's email list and future membership drive.
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