Position: Director
Pronouns: he/him
Irvin Waller has an MA in Economics and a Ph.D. in Law from Cambridge University. He is an Emeritus Professor of Criminology, University of Ottawa, Canada. He is author of several books, publications and videos for policy makers, and academic articles. His most recent books analyse the research and best practice to propose smart policies to stop crime and protect victims. These books are the basis for smart changes needed to achieve significant reductions in violent crime and fair justice for victims in the UN Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. He is a widely sought after public speaker (in English, French and Spanish) and consults to governments across the world on how to reduce crime and protect victims.
His first seminal book demonstrated the limited ability to change Men Released from Prison. In 1970´s, his pioneering research led to his second seminal book – Burglary, The Victim and the Public on a model victimization survey and ways to assess gaps in services for victims. In 1976, he was invited to the NATO sponsored seminar in Bellagio, Italy as one of 50 victim research and service pioneers from across the world. At the 3rd International Symposium for Victimology in Munster, Germany in 1979, he was elected to the founding executive of the World Society of Victimology (WSV) to which he was elected 5 times. He served for three times as secretary general and once as president and co-organised the highly successful WSV Montreal Symposium in 2000.
He received awards from the World Federation for Mental Health and the National Organisation for Victim Assistance (NOVA) for his work leading to the UN adoption of the Declaration on Basic Principles of Justice for Victims of Crime and Abuse of Power. He served on the board of the NOVAr and later received an award for his contributions to victim protection through research. He was on the Board of the International Bureau of Children´s Rights to help spearhead the adoption of the UN Guidelines on Justice for Child Victims and Witnesses in 2005.
He was the founding executive director of the International Centre for the Prevention of Crime affiliated with the United Nations. He developed the Safer Cities program with UN Habitat and collaborates with the World Health Organisation on violence prevention. He was an adviser on the UN Guidelines for the Prevention of Crime. He worked on national commissions in Canada, South Africa, UK and the USA. His achievements for crime prevention were recognised by Belgium, Canada, England, France and The Netherlands.
In the 1970´s, he served Canada as a senior official on the abolition of the death penalty, gun control, dangerous offender legislation and prevention of violence against women. He was a Full Professor of Criminology from 1982 to 2018 and founding Director of the Institute for the Prevention of Crime, University of Ottawa.
His publications in English include:
- Waller, Irvin, 2019, Science and Secrets of Ending Violent Crime (2019)
- Waller, Irvin, 2011, Rights for Victims of Crime: Rebalancing Justice.
- Waller, Irvin, 1978, Burglary, Victim and the Public. University of Toronto Press
- Waller, Irvin (1974) Men Released from Prison. University of Toronto Press.
- Waller, Irvin & J. Chan, “Prison Use: A …International comparison,” in Leslie Wilkins et al. Correctional Institutions,
His role is described in:
- Rock, Paul, 1986. A View from the Shadows: … Making of the Justice for Victims …. Oxford: Clarendon.
- Oral History of the pioneers in the US Crime Victim Assistance Field http://vroh.uakron.edu/summaries/Waller.php.
- Waller, Irvin, 2004. Harnessing Criminology and Victimology Internationally …. Toronto: De Sitter
