Richard Quinney

Richard Quinney (b. 1934) is an American criminologist, sociologist, and philosopher whose work has profoundly shaped the development of critical criminology. He became widely known through his thesis of the social reality of crime (1970), in which he argued that crime is not an objective phenomenon but socially constructed through processes of labeling, political interests, and state power. In Class, State, and Crime (1977), Quinney further developed a Marxist instrumentalist theory of law, portraying the legal system as a tool of the capitalist class used to reproduce inequality and suppress dissent.

Quinney was one of the first to articulate a systematic critique of the criminal justice system from a structural and class-based perspective, thereby helping to institutionalize critical criminology as a recognized academic field. Later in his career, he shifted toward a more spiritual, pacifist, and restorative vision of justice, which he developed under the label of peacemaking criminology. His interdisciplinary work combines social theory, ethics, and existential reflection, establishing him as a foundational thinker at the intersection of criminology, sociology, and political philosophy.

Interview

This video interview was conducted as part of the Oral History of Criminology Project. In this reflective conversation, Richard Quinney shares insights into his critical criminological perspective, the philosophical foundations of his work, and the evolution of his thinking on crime, justice, and society.