John Paul Wright

John Paul Wright is an American criminologist known for his work in biosocial criminology. He is a professor in the School of Criminal Justice at the University of Cincinnati College of Education Criminal Justice and Human Services. He is also the director of the graduate program in criminal justice there.[2] Among the students whose Ph.D. theses he has overseen is Kevin Beaver, a professor at Florida State University.[1] He previously taught at East Tennessee State University for five years (1995-2000),[2][3] and was granted tenure there in 2000.[4]

John Paul Wright
EducationIndiana State University (B.S., 1991; M.A., 1992) University of Cincinnati (Ph.D., 1996)
Known forBiosocial criminology
Awards4 Golden Apple Awards for Excellence in Teaching from the University of Cincinnati
Scientific career
FieldsCriminology
InstitutionsUniversity of Cincinnati College of Education Criminal Justice and Human Services, East Tennessee State University
ThesisParental support and juvenile delinquency: a test of social support theory (1996)
Doctoral advisorFrancis T. Cullen
Doctoral studentsKevin Beaver[1]

John Paul Wright, like biosocial criminology in general, holds a belief in the hereditarian view of human behavior. That is, he believes that humans are members of distinct races each with distinct, evolutionarily endowed traits.

In his article "Inconvenient Truths: Science, Race, and Crime" in "Biosocial Criminology - New Directions in Theory and Research" edited by Anthony Walsh (criminologist) and Kevin Beaver, Wright said:

From the available data it would seem ludicrous to argue that "race" is a construct devoid of a biological or evolutionary backdrop. That evolutionary forces have produced biological variance across races is now scientifically undeniable. That many of the characteristics that define races appear to be universal and time stable is also undeniable. Evolution can produce many forms of adaptations, but it cannot produce equality.

The connection between race and criminal behavior is clearly complex and involves a range of historical, social, psychological and individual variables. Evolution however, provides a powerful mechanism to understand the development of human races and the distribution of traits and behaviors within and across races. It helps explain why races would appear and under what conditions races would appear. It helps to explain why certain traits would be beneficial and why these traits such as higher IQ, would be unequally distributed across races. Moreover evolutionary theory helps explain why race-based patterns of behavior are universal, such as black over-involvement in crime. No other paradigm organizes these patterns better. No other paradigm explains these inconvenient truths.[5]

Wright is also a devoted conservative who co-wrote with Matt DeLisi "Conservative Criminology: A Call to Restore Balance to the Social Sciences"[6] and its companion web site.[7]

Betsy DeVos, Education Secretary for the Trump Administration used Wright's work:

In making the latter point, DeVos' commission cited several times a study in which researchers argued that the discipline discrepancies between black and white students are "likely produced by pre-existing behavioral problems of youth that are imported into the classroom, that cause classroom disruptions, and that trigger disciplinary measures by teachers and school officials."

"Differences in rates of suspension between racial groups thus appear to be a function of differences in problem behaviors that emerge early in life, that remain relatively stable over time, and that materialize in the classroom," researchers wrote in a 2014 paper that counters the concerns about inequitable discipline that caused the Obama administration that same year to enact its guidance.

"Early misbehavior is tied to later misbehavior and, in turn, that misbehavior is tied to school suspensions," the researchers concluded. "These findings highlight the importance of early problem behaviors and suggest that the use of suspensions by teachers and administrators may not have been as racially biased as some scholars have argued."

The research was published in the Journal of Criminal Justice by John Paul Wright, a professor at the School of Criminal Justice at the University of Cincinnati, and four others.

Reached by phone, Wright, who is the lead author of the report, said he was not aware that DeVos used his research to bolster the decision to rescind the discipline guidance.[8]

References
  1. Cohen, Patricia (19 June 2011). "Genetic Basis for Crime: A New Look". The New York Times.
  2. "John Paul Wright CV" (PDF). University of Cincinnati.
  3. "John Paul Wright Faculty Page". University of Cincinnati.
  4. "TBR grants tenure and promotion to ETSU faculty". East Tennessee State University. 29 June 2000.
  5. Wright, John Paul (October 2008). Biosocial Criminology New Directions in Theory and Research. Routledge. ISBN 9780415989442. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
  6. Wright, John Paul (November 2015). Conservative Criminology: A Call to Restore Balance to the Social Sciences. Routledge. ISBN 9781138125131. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
  7. Wright, John Paul. "Conservative Criminology". Conservative Criminology. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
  8. Camera, Lauren (March 28, 2019). "The Race Research Cited by DeVos". US News and World Report. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
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