Lloyd E. Ohlin
Author Details
- Full Name: Lloyd E. Ohlin
- Year of Birth: 1918
- Year of Death: 2008
- Country: United States
- Discipline: Criminology, Critical Criminology, Political Sociology, Sociology, Sociology of Deviance, Sociology of Knowledge
- Themes:
Differential Opportunity, Juvenile Delinquency, Social Inequality, Crime Prevention, Deviant Subcultures, Criminal Justice Policy
Additional Information
Lloyd E. Ohlin (1918–2008) was an American criminologist and sociologist renowned for his work on juvenile delinquency, social structure, and crime prevention. He served as a professor at Harvard Law School and was influential in shaping U.S. juvenile justice policy. Ohlin collaborated with Richard A. Cloward to develop Differential Opportunity Theory, integrating sociological research with practical interventions aimed at reducing delinquency.
Ohlin’s research emphasized the role of unequal access to both legitimate and illegitimate means in shaping patterns of criminal behavior. His co-authored work with Cloward remains a foundational text in criminology, combining structural analysis with policy relevance. Ohlin also played a pivotal role in designing community-based delinquency prevention programs.
Interview
This video interview was conducted as part of the Oral History of Criminology Project. In this conversation, Lloyd E. Ohlin discusses his pioneering work in criminology and juvenile justice, including the influential theory of differential opportunity developed with Richard Cloward.
Key Works
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Cloward, R. A., & Ohlin, L. E. (1960). Delinquency and Opportunity: A Theory of Delinquent Gangs. New York: Free Press.
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Ohlin, L. E., & Remington, F. J. (Eds.). (1993). Discretion in Criminal Justice: The Tension Between Individualization and Uniformity. Albany: State University of New York Press.