Jonathan Simon

Jonathan Simon is an American criminologist and legal scholar known for his influential analyses of mass incarceration, governance through crime, and the transformation of penal policy in the United States. A professor of Law at the University of California, Berkeley, Simon has critically examined how fear of crime and security discourses have shaped political decision-making, legal frameworks, and social control mechanisms since the late 20th century. His work often engages with themes of neoliberal governance, risk management, and the cultural politics of punishment, situating these developments within broader shifts in democracy and citizenship.

Simon’s scholarship bridges criminology, legal studies, and political sociology, offering a penetrating critique of how crime control logics permeate governance. His concept of “governing through crime” describes how crime has become a central framework for addressing diverse social problems, extending punitive rationalities beyond the criminal justice system. Influenced by Michel Foucault, David Garland, and critical criminology, Simon’s work interrogates the role of law and policy in constructing insecurity, marginalizing vulnerable populations, and reshaping civic life.

Interview

This video interview was conducted as part of the Oral History of Criminology Project. In this conversation, Jonathan Simon elaborates on his concept of governing through crime, the cultural and political dimensions of punishment, and the broader implications of mass incarceration in the United States.