Journal profile · CRIMINOLOGY & PENOLOGY
Criminology & Public Policy
ISSN 1538-6473 · eISSN 1745-9133 · Wiley-Blackwell
Criminology & Public Policy: CAS Zone 1 · Sociology (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal); impact factor 3.7; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,350; 28 articles in 2025; indexed in SSCI and Scopus; the journal's website says it has moved to a new publisher.
The journal's website says it has moved to a new publisher: As of January 2027, Criminology & Public Policy will no longer be published by Wiley. More information can be found on the new publisher's website: https://www.tandfonline.com Source ↗Publisher website ·
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Criminology & Public Policy is published by Wiley-Blackwell and is in Zone 1 of Sociology in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Crime Patterns and Interventions, Criminal Justice and Corrections Analysis and Policing Practices and Perceptions, together about 56.1% of its articles. Its main subfields are Sociology and Political Science. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Criminology & Public Policy is the premier policy journal of the American Society of Criminology. It is devoted to rigorous research and critical discussions of criminal justice policies and practices. The central objective of the journal is to strengthen the role of research findings in the formulation and implementation of crime and justice policy and practice by publishing empirically based, policy-focused articles. The journal is interdisciplinary and international in its scope.The editors welcome rigorous empirical studies that address various aspects of program and policy development, theory, operations, impacts, and cost efficiency as they pertain to all areas of justice and crime prevention. We welcome studies using a variety of quantitative and qualitative methodologies, original and replication studies, and systematic reviews or critical syntheses of literature. The journal also publishes policy or reaction essays by invitation (and following peer review) for special issues or features. However, we do not normally accept unsolicited policy or reaction essays. Submitted manuscripts must have a clearly articulated and strong connection to policy and practice.Additionally, the editors of CPP encourage manuscripts that address the following under-developed areas of crime policy research:1. Evaluations of the sustainability and long-term consequences of evidence-based programs. Current evaluation research commonly focuses on testing short-term implementation of programs with short-term follow-ups. More knowledge is needed as to how evidence-based interventions are sustained, institutionalized, and normalized into criminal justice practices over the long-term. 2. Outcome evaluations of interventions intended to reduce disparity in the criminal justice system. While studies have examined the occurrence and prevalence of disparity in the criminal justice system, the field lacks evaluations of programs intended to reduce or mitigate disparities. Such interventions can include programs, tactical and strategic approaches, legal remedies, policy adjustments, or other activities focused on the reduction of racial, ethnic, gendered, or other protected class disparities.3. Efforts to counter the opioid epidemic. Many jurisdictions are currently experiencing an unprecedented increase in drug overdoses and deaths arising from the increased availability and use of illicit opioids and the misuse of prescription opioids. CPP invites papers that examine prevention an
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): CRIMINOLOGY & PENOLOGY
Editor-in-chief Ojmarrh MitchellPublisher website
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Crime Patterns and InterventionsSocial Sciences29.2%
- Criminal Justice and Corrections AnalysisSocial Sciences20.3%
- Policing Practices and PerceptionsSocial Sciences6.6%
- Crime, Illicit Activities, and GovernanceSocial Sciences6.2%
- Homelessness and Social IssuesHealth Professions6.2%
- Psychopathy, Forensic Psychiatry, Sexual OffendingPsychology6.1%
- Gun Ownership and Violence ResearchSocial Sciences4.8%
- Wildlife Conservation and Criminology AnalysesEnvironmental Science3.4%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Sociology Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Sociology | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Criminology & Penology | Zone 1 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Sociology Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Sociology | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Criminology & Penology | Zone 1 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Sociology Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Sociology | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Criminology & Penology | Zone 1 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: no
Database indexing
SSCIScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
Web of ScienceCurrent ContentsPublisher website
Other: EBSCO, ProQuest
As the journal's website lists them, not checked against each database; for Web of Science editions the records above apply.
Editions, and major and minor categories, are shown separately and never merged into one zone; check which edition your institution uses before you submit or report.
Metrics
Impact metrics and publication volume
Impact
- Impact factor
- 3.7LetPub ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 7.6LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 1.82LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 2.54LetPub ·
- h-index
- 98OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 789OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 4.4OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 2.6%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 61.63%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 20LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 1,506 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 31 | 14 | 11 |
| 2025 | 28 | 20 | 124 |
| 2024 | 38 | 29 | 292 |
| 2023 | 47 | 29 | 429 |
| 2022 | 50 | 18 | 912 |
| 2021 | 33 | 15 | 852 |
Sources count differently and were observed at different times, so each source's own value is kept; "publisher" marks figures from the journal's website.
Review & acceptance
Review time and acceptance
Review time from article dates manuscript dates registered with Crossref · to
Too few articlesOnly 1 articles from the last 24 months carry both submission and acceptance dates, too few for a median
Only articles that were accepted and published are counted, not the time spent on rejected manuscripts, so this usually runs longer than a publisher's "time to first decision".
Other sources
- Peer review
- Double-anonymous peer reviewPublisher website · model-extracted
Community reports come from authors' own submissions (confidence 0.5) and are not a promise from the journal; for publisher figures, the journal's own definitions apply.
Fees & open access
APC and open-access policy
Hybrid open accessLetPub
A subscription journal in which authors can pay to publish their article open access.
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAlex | USD 3,350 / EUR 2,810 / GBP 2,220 | — | — |
A hybrid journal charges the APC only when the author chooses open access; publishing under the subscription model is usually free.
The journal's website is authoritative for fees; sources were observed at different times and each keeps its own value, without averaging.
Submission
Article types and submission policies (journal website)
What to prepare9 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 300 words
- Keywords
- ≥ 3
- Manuscript length
- ≤ 8,000 words
- Reference style
- APA
- First submission
- Free format: the journal's layout is not required
- Suggested reviewers
- Optional
- Highlights
- Required
- Graphical abstract
- Optional
- Cover letter
- Optional
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Publication ethics
- AI use
GenAI use must be transparently described; GenAI cannot manipulate data or be listed as an author. Model summary
Use of a GenAI tool to develop any portion of a manuscript must be described, transparently and in detail. GenAI tools must not be used to create, alter or manipulate original research data and results. GenAI tools cannot be listed as authors or contributors.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Publication ethics
Simultaneous submission to another journal is unacceptable. Model summary
The American Society of Criminology regards submission of a manuscript to this journal as a commitment to publish herein; simultaneous submission to another journal is unacceptable.
Source ↗Publisher website ·
Excerpts are quoted from the journal's website; "model summary" lines are written by Workers AI and checked against the text. The journal's website is authoritative.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- Wiley-Blackwell
- ISSN
- 1538-6473
- Electronic ISSN
- 1745-9133
- Society / sponsor
- American Society of Criminology
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 25, Issue 3 (August 2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Criminology & Public Policy
What CAS zone is Criminology & Public Policy in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Criminology & Public Policy is in Zone 1 of Sociology, and in Zone 1 of the minor category Criminology & Penology; it is a Top journal. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 1 of Sociology. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Criminology & Public Policy?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 3.7; CiteScore 7.6, h-index 98.
What are the manuscript requirements of Criminology & Public Policy?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 300 words; Keywords: ≥ 3; Manuscript length: ≤ 8,000 words; Reference style: APA; First submission: Free format: the journal's layout is not required; Suggested reviewers: Optional; Highlights: Required; Graphical abstract: Optional; Cover letter: Optional. A model extracted these from the author guidelines and each was checked against the text; check the latest version on the journal's website before submitting.
Which databases index Criminology & Public Policy?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Criminology & Public Policy is indexed in SSCI and Scopus. The journal's website also lists Web of Science and Current Contents; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Criminology & Public Policy open access, and what is the APC?
Criminology & Public Policy is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,350.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, OpenAlex, Publisher website; every figure is tagged with its source and the date it was observed, and conflicting values are kept per source. LetPub source page: view ↗ (archived 2026-08-25). Last updated: .