Prof. Robert E. Worden

Rob Worden is the director of the John Finn Institute and associate professor of criminal justice at the University at Albany, State University of New York. He holds a Ph.D. in political science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, with specializations in public administration and public policy. Professor Worden previously served on the faculties of the University of Georgia and Michigan State University.

His scholarship revolves around questions about the accountability and responsiveness of criminal justice institutions to the public. It thus includes both basic research – concerned with explaining the behavior of criminal justice actors in terms of political, organizational, and social influences – and applied research – concerned with the implementation and outcomes (read: social benefits) of criminal justice policies and programs. Most of his research has focused on police behavior and police programs and reforms. His scholarship has appeared in a number of academic journals, and his research has been funded by the National Institute of Justice, the Bureau of Justice Assistance, the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services, and a number of local governments.

In 2000, he was appointed to serve on the National Research Council’s Committee to Review Research on Police Policies and Practices, the report of which was published as Fairness and Effectiveness in Policing: The Evidence (National Academies Press, 2004).

In 2001, he was appointed by New York’s governor to serve on the New York State Law Enforcement Accreditation Council, on which he continues to serve.