Stephen C. Richards, PhD, is a professor of criminal justice and the author of several books and articles. He is one of the founders of the New School of Convict Criminology. Richards earned a BS degree in sociology while serving a nine-year sentence in a federal prison for conspiracy to distribute marijuana. After his release, he earned an MA in sociology from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and a PhD in sociology at Iowa State University. Richards is also a Soros Senior Justice Fellow.