Areas of Expertise

• Gangs
• Criminal justice policy
• Offender’s perspective
• Violence
• Youth crime
• Crime control

Key Findings

• Less than six percent of domestic extremists have a history of gang involvement. MORE
• There is little evidence to suggest that gang policies will translate effectively to the context of terrorism as it pertains to individuals who get involved in domestic extremist groups. MORE

Biography

Scott Decker, Foundation Professor of Criminology & Criminal Justice at the Arizona State University, is an expert in gangs, youth crime and crime control.

Decker served as a professor at the University of Missouri – St. Louis and Indiana University – Ft. Wayne. He also served as a member of the St. Louis Crime Commission, The Mayor’s Task Force on Gangs and Drugs for the City of St. Louis and the St. Louis Public Schools’ Anti-Drug, Anti-Gang Task Force. He has received honors and awards from the American Society of Criminology, the University of Missouri and the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences.

Decker has published chapters and articles in scholarly journals as well as authored books including Life in the Gang: Family, Friends and Violence, Burglars on the Job: Streetlife and Residential Burglary and Lessons from the Inside: Drug Smugglers on Drug Smuggling.

He received his Ph.D. and M.A. in criminology at Florida State University and B.A. at DePauw University.

Follow Scott on Twitter: @DeckerCrime