Acclaimed scholar speaks at Middlesex about USA’s extremely high murder rate

Professor David Garland held a public lecture on his new book which explores the USA’s criminal justice system

An internationally acclaimed scholar who has written about the extremely high number of murders and prisoners in the US gave a public lecture at Middlesex University.

David Garland, a Professor of Law and Sociology at New York University, spoke to academics, criminal justice professionals and students this week about his fascinating book on the USA’s criminal justice system.

The public lecture was a part of the postgraduate programme at Middlesex University and the International Masters in Advanced Research in Criminology (IMARC) programme. 

Professor Garland, who is originally from Dundee, is the author of Law and Order Leviathan: America’s Extraordinary Regime of Policing and Punishment. The book examines why the USA has such high levels of homicide, police killings, gun violence and prison populations in comparison to nations in western Europe.

Figures highlighted by Professor Garland include:

• The USA has six homicides per 100,000 people per year (the UK has less than one).
• The USA has 650 prisoners per 100,000 people (the UK has around 150)
• Around one thousand people are killed by the police every year.
• There are more guns (400 million) in the USA in circulation than its population (330 million)

Professor Garland, who is also an Honorary Professor at Edinburgh University, said the USA’s “peculiar gun culture” led to a “fear of crime” for civilians and to more aggressive behaviour by police forces.

“Right from the beginning of US history there has been a decision not to disarm the US population and permit the use of violence by private individuals,” he said, referring to frontier violence by settlers, gun use as a component of slavery and by private police when supressing labour disputes.

He argues failing to provide resources such as jobs, housing, and education in inner cities since the 1960s led to struggling families, disorganised neighbourhoods, and a surge in crime and violence.

Professor Garland said: “America’s labour market and welfare state fail to protect working people which ensures high levels of inequality, insecurity, and social problems, making it worse to be a working person in the USA than any developed countries.

“Inequality, impoverishment, social problems such as ill-health, drug use, single parent households, children in poverty, suicides and mental health problems. All these issues are significantly worse in the US because of the political economy. And worst of all in segregated, poor, communities of colour.

“As a result of this ultra-liberal political economy, America has some of the richest people in the world but also the poorest people. This is a liberalism that aims to free market forces, and corporate power, not to make sure every individual is free and able to thrive.”

After the lecture, Professor Garland fielded questions from the audience on the controversial US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) federal agency and whether abolishing the police, penal system and death penalty would have an impact on crime in the USA.

“Professor Garland is one of the most influential scholars in the field of punishment and social control in the world. We were very fortunate to have Professor Garland here today. His work sits where the field of law, criminology and sociology meet.”

Professor Belén Olmos Giupponi, Head of Middlesex University Law School

Jenni Ward, an Associate Professor of Criminology who chaired the event, said: “It was a great honour to welcome Professor Garland at Middlesex University. His book is a detailed interweaving of political economy, history, sociological analysis and penal control that will take its place as a seminal text across criminology, law, the social sciences and other disciplines.”

This event at Middlesex, hosted by the Centre of Social and Criminological Research at Middlesex was a collaboration with IMARC partners and co-funded by the Erasmus + Programme of the European Union. 
Find out more about studying Criminology at Middlesex and the Centre of Social and Criminological Research.