Bridging the Gap Between Theory and Practice

Curt Taylor Griffiths is a Professor in the School of Criminology at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, British Columbia. He completed his PH.D. in the Department of Sociology at the University of Montana. His research, writing and consulting activities are carried out under the auspices of Curt T. Griffiths Ltd.

In his teaching and research, Dr. Griffiths attempts to bridge the gap between the academic world and the world of criminal justice practitioners and to end what has often been termed the “dialogue of the deaf”. He has a keen interest in the variety of contexts within which the justice system operates, from international jurisdictions to urban centres, to the remote Canadian north.

The Canadian criminal justice system is a complex, dynamic, and ever-changing enterprise. How the various components of the system operate and the extent to which they succeed in preventing and responding to crime and criminal offenders affects not only the general public but criminal justice personnel and offenders as well.

Working with communities, governments, criminal justice agencies and organizations, Dr. Griffiths attempts to fill the vacuum that often exists in public policy debates and in operational policy and practice. The overall objective of his work is to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the criminal justice system and to address the needs of communities and, in particular, at-risk and vulnerable groups. Dr. Griffiths brings to his work an unbridled optimism and an insatiable curiosity about the justice system and its role in society.