Criminologist Joan Petersilia (1951–2019) spent more than 30 years studying the performance of criminal justice agencies and was instrumental in guiding sentencing and corrections reform in California and throughout the U.S. Her research, nonpartisan analyses, and recommendations on parole reform, sentencing policy, and prisoner integration have shaped both policy change and public understanding of criminal justice policy at the state and national levels. In 2014, Petersilia received the Stockholm Prize in Criminology for her work on prisoner reentry and supporting ex-offenders after release.
Professional positions
- 2009–2018: Adelbert H. Sweet Professor of Law, Stanford University
- 1992–2009: Professor of criminology, law, and society; University of California, Irvine
- 1974–1994: Senior researcher (1974–1989) and director (1989–1994), Criminal Justice Program, RAND Corporation
Notable publications
- Petersilia, Joan, and Kevin R. Reitz, eds. 2012. The Oxford Handbook of Sentencing and Corrections. Oxford University Press.
- Petersilia, Joan. 2003. When Prisoners Come Home: Parole and Prisoner Reentry. Oxford University Press.
- Petersilia, Joan, Joseph Foote, and Nancy A. Crowell, eds. 2001. Crime Victims with Developmental Disabilities: Report of a Workshop. National Academy Press.
- Tonry, Michael, and Joan Petersilia, eds. 1999. Prisons. Special issue, Crime and Justice 26.
Degrees
- PhD; criminology, law, and society; University of California, Irvine
- MA, sociology, Ohio State University
- BA, sociology, Loyola Marymount University
In The ANNALS
Volume 664, March 2016: “Realigning Corrections, California Style”
