Irvin Waller
Irvin Waller (born July 24, 1944) is a Canadian criminologist and Professor Emeritus of Criminology[1] at the University of Ottawa[2], known for his work in crime prevention policy and advocacy for victims rights.[3] He was the founding director general of the International Centre for the Prevention of Crime (ICPC) in Montreal and co-founder of the World Society of Victimology.[4]
Education and career
Waller studied economics at the University of Cambridge, where he received both a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Arts.[4] He went on to complete a Diploma in Criminology and a Ph.D. in Law at the same institution. His doctoral research focused on incarceration and the reintegration of offenders into society.[5]
Waller began his career as a criminology researcher at the University of Toronto's Centre for Criminology, where he conducted early empirical work on recidivism and reintegration.[6]
In 1974, he was appointed Director General of Research at Canada’s Ministry of the Solicitor General. There, he led studies that informed major national reforms, including the abolition of the death penalty, the introduction of dangerous offender legislation, and the strengthening of gun control laws.[7]
In 1980, he joined the faculty of the department of criminology at the University of Ottawa, where he taught until his retirement from teaching in 2018.[8]
He held visiting professor appointments at the State University of New York at Albany, the Université d'Aix-Marseille in France, and the Manonmaniam Sundaranar University in Tamil Nadu, India.[5]
He co-founded the Institute for the Prevention of Crime and was later named Professor Emeritus in 2018.[9]
Waller co-founded the World Society of Victimology, an organization dedicated to advancing research and policy for crime victims worldwide.[7] In the 1980s, he started a close collaboration with the French politician Gilbert Bonnemaison to promote social development as a tool for crime prevention across the world[10] Their efforts contributed to the founding of the European Forum for Urban Safety in 1988 and the founding of the International Centre for the Prevention of Crime (ICPC) in Montreal in 1994, where Waller served as the founding executive director.[11]
Research and works
Waller’s research and scholarship have focused on advancing crime prevention and victim rights as integral components of public safety policy.[12] His work emphasizes the importance of addressing the root causes of crime through prevention rather than relying solely on reactive measures such as policing, prosecution, and incarceration.[13] Drawing on public health and social development models, Waller has advocated for early childhood education, youth support, mental health services, and community-based initiatives as evidence-based approaches to reducing violence and victimization.[9]
His work in the field of victimology, Waller played a central role in shaping the United Nations Declaration of Basic Principles of Justice for Victims of Crime and Abuse of Power, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1985.[14] Over his career, he has collaborated with international organizations including the World Health Organization, the Inter-American Development Bank, and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, contributing to the development of global frameworks for crime prevention and community safety.
Waller’s academic and scholarly work also focuses on criminology, public policy, victimology, and urban safety.[15]
His early empirical research, such as Men Released from Prison (1974), examined post-incarceration outcomes and critiqued the effectiveness of imprisonment and parole systems.[16] In Prison Use: A Canadian and International Comparison, he introduced comparative measures of incarceration rates, while Burglary, the Victim and the Public (1978) provided foundational insights into victimization and fear of crime.[17] During his time in government, Waller initiated Selected Trends in Canadian Criminal Justice to guide policymakers on emerging issues and led the production of two Crime Prevention Digests through the Institute for the Prevention of Crime to promote evidence-based policies among European and North American governments.[18]
His later works, including Less Law, More Order: The Truth About Reducing Crime (2006)[19], Rights for Victims of Crime: Rebalancing Justice (2011)[7], Smarter Crime Control: A Guide to a Safer Future for Citizens, Communities and Politicians (2014)[20], and Science and Secrets of Ending Violent Crime (2019), present frameworks for reallocating resources toward prevention and improving justice for victims.[21]
References
- ↑ Beddaoui, Jessica. "Time for cops to focus on crime prevention, University of Ottawa professor Irvin Waller says". Ottawa Sun. Archived from the original on 2021-10-26. Retrieved 2025-10-14.
- ↑ Kitts, Daniel. "'Making change is tough': A criminologist on rethinking crime prevention". TVO. Retrieved 2025-10-14.
- ↑ Arce, Diego (2022-07-04). "Irwin Waller: Limitar acceso a alcohol, armas y atención en centros de salud, son la vacuna contra violencia". El Mundo CR (in español). Retrieved 2025-10-14.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Irvin Waller". The Conversation. 2022-06-01. Retrieved 2025-10-14.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Irvin Waller". CCA Reports. Retrieved 2025-10-14.
- ↑ "Oral History Interview with Irvin Waller". cdm15960.contentdm.oclc.org. Retrieved 2025-10-14.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Graves, S. M. (2012-12-01). "Irvin Waller, Rights for Victims of Crime: Rebalancing Justice". Human Rights Law Review. 12 (4): 817–820. doi:10.1093/hrlr/ngs028. ISSN 1461-7781.
- ↑ Cox, Aidan (Jul 31, 2023). "Violent crime remains up in N.B., more officers not only solution, experts say". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 "Why Addressing the Root Causes of Crime is More Effective Than Incarceration". Faculty of Social Sciences. Retrieved 2025-10-14.
- ↑ Monchalin, Lisa. "Why Not Crime Prevention? An Evidence-based Perspective – Criminologie". Érudit. doi:10.7202/1092587ar. Retrieved 2025-10-14.
- ↑ "Dr. Irvin Waller | Secrets of Persuading Politicians to Halve Violent Crime in 5 Years in the Age of Science and Social Media: Are There Lessons for CACOR | 20 March 2024 - Canadian Association for the Club of Rome". Club of Rome. 2024-03-20. Retrieved 2025-10-14.
- ↑ Bridget (2013-11-27). "Prof looks for solutions to crime rates in Canada". The Fulcrum. Retrieved 2025-10-14.
- ↑ "Bradley and Waller: City of Ottawa must budget for preventative approach to tackling violence". ottawacitizen. Archived from the original on 2024-02-16. Retrieved 2025-10-14.
- ↑ Kazakova, Marina. "40 Years of the UN's Victims' Declaration: What's Changed? – Victim Support Europe". Retrieved 2025-10-14.
- ↑ Mckay, Lesley (2023-12-30). "Reducing crime and violence - presentation to the Probus Club of Western Ottawa by Dr. Irwin Waller". Stittsville Central - Local Stories, Events and Business. Retrieved 2025-10-14.
- ↑ Hagan, John L. (1974). "Sentencing as a Human Process, by John Hogarth, and Men Released from Prison, by Irvin Waller: Canadian Forum". Canadian Forum. 65 (646).
- ↑ Chan, Irvin Waller Janet (1975). "Prison Use: a Canadian and International Comparison". Centre for Criminology and Sociolegal Studies, University of Toronto. Retrieved 2025-10-14.
- ↑ Canada, Correctional Service (2007-07-11). "Satisfying justice: A compendium of initiatives, programs and legislative measures: Conclusion". www.canada.ca. Retrieved 2025-10-14.
- ↑ Waller, Irvin (2006). Less law, more order: the truth about reducing crime. Westport, Conn: Praeger Publishers. ISBN 978-0-275-99077-0. Search this book on
- ↑ Singletary, Kimberly Alecia (2015). "Smarter Crime Control: A Guide to a Safer Future for Citizens, Communities, and Politicians by Irvin Waller (review)". Journal of Race and Policy. 11 (1): 66–68. ISSN 2836-6816.
- ↑ Waller, Irvin (2019). Science and Secrets of Ending Violent Crime (1st ed.). Blue Ridge Summit: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Incorporated. ISBN 978-1-5381-1807-8. Search this book on
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