About Alfred Blumstein

Alfred Blumstein is the J. Erik Jonsson University Professor of Urban Systems and Operations Research and former Dean at the Heinz School of Public Policy at the Carnegie-Mellon University in Pittsburgh (USA).

His contributions include much of the language used to describe the key features of criminal careers, including the concept of "lambda" as the underlying true frequency of criminal offending that can only be estimated on the basis of such indirect measures as arrests, convictions or self-reported offending.

As the chair of the (US) National Academy of Sciences Panel on Research on Criminal Careers in 1986, he was senior editor of a landmark report on the state of knowledge about "criminal careers" and patterns of offending, which stressed methodological uncertainties about predictions of future offending in any individual case and the ethical limitations of basing sentencing practices upon prior criminal records. In co-authored works with many of the leading contributors to knowledge on criminal careers, he provided insightful and inspiring leadership for understanding the development of criminal careers-with dramatic implications for public safety and crime prevention.   

Key facts on Alfred Blumstein
Born: 1930 in New York, NY
Employment: H. John Heinz III School of Public Policy and Management
Web-Site: http://www.heinz.cmu.edu/bio/faculty/ab0q.html

Publications representative of the work of Alfred Blumstein:
1. Blumstein, A. and Beck, A. J., eds. (2005). Reentry as a Transient State between Liberty and Recommitment. Cambridge University Press, New York, NY.
2. Blumstein, A. with Wallman, J., (2005). The Crime Drop in America, 2nd edition. Cambridge University Press, New York, NY.
3. Blumstein, A and Beck, A. J. (1999). Population Growth in U.S Prisons, 1980-1996. The University of Chicago press, Chicago, IL.
4. Blumstein, A. (1993). Racial Disproportionality of U.S. Prison Population Revisited. University of Colorado law and Review.
5. Blumstein, A. with Cohen, J., Roth, J., and Visher, C.A., eds. (1986). Criminal Careers and "Career Criminals" Report of the National Academy of Sciences Panel on Research on Criminal Careers; Washington, D.C. National Academy Press.
6. Blumstein, A. (1982). On the Racial Disproportionality of United States' Prison Populations. The Journal of Criminal Law & Criminology vol.73.
7. Blumstein, A., Cohen, J., Martin, S.E. and Tonry, M.H. (1983). Research on Sentencing: The Search for Reform. National Academy Press, Washington, DC.
8. Blumstein, A., Cohen, J. and Nagin, D. (1978). Deterrence and Incapacitation: Estimating the Effects of Criminal Effects of Criminal Sanctions on Crime Rates. National Academy of Sciences, Washington, DC.