Call for papers

The International Society for Criminology (ISC-SIC), Paris, in cooperation with the University of Maribor and its Faculty of Criminal Justice and Security, invites submissions for the World Criminology Congress 2027, which will be held in Maribor, Slovenia, from 23 to 25 August 2027.

The congress aims to bring together scholars, researchers, doctoral students, policymakers, practitioners, and civil society representatives from across the world to discuss contemporary challenges in criminology, criminal justice, social justice, policing, corrections, crime prevention, security, victimisation, and harm.

The main theme of the congress, Criminal Justice, Social Justice and Security Between Common Sense, Research and High-Tech Solutions – Theory, Policymaking and Practice, invites critical reflection on the relationship between established knowledge, practical experience, evidence-based research, technological innovation, and future-oriented policy responses.

We welcome theoretical, empirical, comparative, policy-oriented, and practice-based contributions addressing a wide range of topics, including but not limited to:

Crime, deviance, victimisation, and harm; criminological theory; criminal justice policy; policing and police legitimacy; prosecution, courts, sentencing, prisons, and corrections; crime prevention and community safety; social justice and human rights; violence and organised crime; cybercrime and high-tech crime; artificial intelligence and criminal justice; environmental and green criminology; rural and urban criminology; migration, borders, and security; gender, inequality, and victimisation; restorative justice; civil society responses; Southern criminology; and the future of criminology.

The congress also places special emphasis on doctoral research, early-career scholars, international networking, and the development of future criminological cooperation. Contributions from doctoral students and young researchers are especially encouraged.

The event will provide a vibrant forum for academic exchange, policy debate, professional reflection, and international collaboration. It will connect theory, research, policymaking, and practice, while encouraging critical and constructive dialogue on the past, present, and future of criminology and criminal justice.

The congress will be held on the premises of the University of Maribor, located within walking distance of Maribor’s historic city centre. Maribor is Slovenia’s second-largest city and offers an attractive setting with rich cultural heritage, excellent wine and cuisine, green surroundings, and a welcoming atmosphere.

The full congress website, including submission guidelines, registration information, deadlines, travel advice, accommodation options, and provisional programme details, will be available from October 2026 onwards.

We warmly invite you to submit your contribution and join the international criminological community in Maribor in August 2027.

Purpose and Rationale

The congress title calls for a broad and balanced programme. Artificial intelligence and modern technologies should be highly visible, but they should be examined alongside criminological theory, scientific research, professional experience, social justice and human judgment. The proposed structure, therefore, connects established criminological concerns with emerging technological challenges and keeps theory, policymaking and practice present across all thematic streams.

Leading Themes

Understanding Crime Between Common Sense and Criminological Theory

• Common-sense explanations of crime and their limitations
• Contemporary criminological theories
• Developmental and life-course perspectives
• Social inequality, exclusion and marginalisation
• Rational choice, routine activities and situational perspectives
• Biological, psychological and sociological explanations
• Translating criminological theory into policy and practice
• Developments in atrocity crimes
• Decolonial perspectives

Crime, Social Change and Emerging Forms of Offending

• Violent crime and interpersonal violence
• Organised and transnational crime
• Corruption, economic crime and crimes of the powerful
• Cybercrime, online fraud and identity theft
• Artificial intelligence–enabled offending
• Human trafficking and modern slavery
• Hate crime, extremism and terrorism
• Environmental crime and harm

Crime, Social Change and Emerging Forms of Offending

• Patterns, causes and consequences of victimisation
• Victims’ rights and access to justice
• Gender, gender diversity and victimisation vulnerability
• Domestic violence
• Children, youth at risk, the elderly and vulnerable communities
• Migrants, minorities and marginalised populations
• Online victimisation, deepfake abuse and cyberstalking
• Victim support, protection and compensation
• Restorative and trauma-informed approaches

Policing Between Experience, Evidence and Technology

• Police organisation, leadership and professional culture
• Community policing and police–community partnerships
• Evidence-based policing and evaluation
• Police legitimacy, self-legitimacy and public trust
• Police discretion, accountability and misconduct
• Artificial intelligence in policing and criminal investigation
• Predictive policing, facial recognition and biometric technologies
• Digital forensics, drones and automated surveillance
• Human judgment in technology-assisted policing

Criminal Justice, Decision-Making and Institutional Reform

• Prosecutorial discretion and pretrial justice
• Courts, sentencing and penal decision-making
• Judicial independence and access to justice
• Artificial intelligence and automated decision support
• Algorithmic risk assessment and potential discrimination
• Prisons, probation and community sanctions
• Rehabilitation, desistance and prisoner reintegration
• Juvenile justice and child-centred interventions
• Evidence-informed criminal justice reform

Human Rights, Ethics and Legitimacy in High-Tech Societies

• Privacy, dignity and data protection
• Algorithmic bias and structural inequality
• Transparency, explainability and accountability
• Human oversight of automated decisions
• Surveillance, social control and civil liberties
• Migration control and border technologies
• Digital exclusion and unequal access to justice
• Regulation and independent oversight of criminal justice technologies
• The limits of technological solutions
• Transitional justice and post-conflict situations

Security, Communities and Resilience

• Local safety and security partnerships
• Urban, rural and remote-community safety
• Fear of crime and perceptions of risk
• Community resilience and crisis preparedness
• Smart cities and technology-assisted local safety
• Public health approaches to violence and crime prevention
• Environmental design, mobility and public safety
• Migration, social cohesion and community security
• Global risks, hybrid threats and critical infrastructure

Media, Artificial Intelligence and the Social Construction of Crime

• Traditional and social media representations of crime
• Generative AI, deepfakes and disinformation
• Moral panics and the politics of fear
• Algorithmic amplification of hatred and extremism
• Public perceptions of policing and criminal justice
• Political communication and manipulation
• Digital activism and social movements
• Trust in institutions in the post-truth environment

Research, Evidence and Knowledge in Criminology

• Quantitative, qualitative and mixed research methods
• Experimental and evaluation research
• Comparative and cross-national criminology
• Big data, machine learning and computational criminology
• Digital ethnography and network analysis
• Validity, transparency and replicability of AI-assisted research
• Research ethics, integrity and responsible use of AI
• Tensions between scientific evidence, political priorities and public opinion

From Knowledge to Action

• Translating research into policymaking and professional practice
• Evidence-based versus politically driven criminal justice policies
• Cooperation among researchers, policymakers and practitioners
• Implementation and evaluation of reforms
• Professional education and technological competence
• Public criminology and communication of scientific findings
• International cooperation and transfer of good practices
• Preserving human judgement, empathy and responsibility

Three Cross-Cutting Perspectives

Every thematic stream should invite contributions that connect theoretical explanation, policymaking and professional practice.