He graduated from the London School of Economics and Political Science, University of London with a BSc in Economics in 1967, before gaining MSc's in Economics and Social Policy there too. From 1997 until his retirement in 2003 he was Professor of Criminology at Middlesex University. He has subsequently been visiting Professor at the Universities of Brighton, Leicester and Roehampton.
Work
His research interests include policing, organised crime, the historical development of crime and criminal justice institutions, the role of the private sector in criminal justice and the relationship between crime, war and security. Lea was one of the key founders of the left realist approach alongside Jock Young, Roger Matthews, Richard Kinsey and Ian Taylor, His book with Jock Young, 'What is to be Done About Law and Order?' was a founding text of the left realist school. This was followed by, 'Losing the Fight Against Crime'. In 2015 he was awarded the British Society of CriminologyOutstanding Achievement Award.
Publications and articles
1970s
Fine, B., Kinsey, R., Lea, J., Picciotto, S. & Young, J. Capitalism and the Rule of Law, London: Hutchinson
1980s
Lea, J. & Young, J. "The Riots in Britain 1981" In: Cowell, D., Jones, T. & Young, J. Policing the Riots, London: Junction
Lea, J. & Young, J. "", Marxism Today, August pg.38-39
Kinsey, R., Lea, J. & Young, J.. Losing the Fight Against Crime. London: Blackwell.
Lea, J. 'Police Racism: some theories and their policy implication' in Matthews, R. & Young, J. Confronting Crime, London: Sage Publications.
Jones, T., Lea, J. & Young, J. Saving the Inner City: The First Report of the Broadwater Farm Survey, London: Middlesex Polytechnic
Lea, J., Matthews, R. & Young, J. Law and Order: Five Years On, London: Middlesex Polytechnic, Centre for Criminology
Lea J. 'Left Realism in Criminology: A Defence' pp 357–370
Lea, J., Jones, T., Woodhouse, T. & Young, J. Preventing Crime: The Hilldrop Environmental Improvement Survey, Enfield: Centre for Criminology, Middlesex Polytechnic
Painter, K., Lea, J., Woodhouse, T. & Young, J. The Hammersmith and Fulham Crime and Policing Survey, London: Middlesex Polytechnic, Centre for Criminology
1990s
2000s
Lea J. ‘The Macpherson Report and the Question of Institutional Racism’ Howard Journal of Criminal Justice vol 39 No 3.pp 219–233
Lea J. 'Hitting Criminals where it hurts: organised crime and the erosion of due process' Cambrian Law Review vol 35: 81-9
Lea, J. 'Left Realism, Community and State Building' Crime, Law and Social Change 54: 141-158.
Lea, J. 'Reconstructing Leviathan: Emerging contours of the security state' Theoretical Criminology 15: 141-157
Lea, J. Criminalisation and advanced marginality: critically exploring the work of Loic Wacquant. Bristol: Policy Press
Lea, J. 'From the Criminalisation of War to the Militarisation of Crime Control' in Sandra Walklate & Ross McGarry eds. Criminology and War: Transgressing the Borders. London: Routledge
Lea, J, War, Criminal Justice and the Rebirth of Privatisation' in Ross McGarry and Sandra Walklate eds. The Palgrave Handbook of Criminology and War. London: Palgrave
Lea, J. Left realism: A radical criminology for the current crisis. International Journal for Crime, Justice and Social Democracy 5: DOI: 10.5204/ijcjsd.v5i3.329
Lea, J. 'Privatisation and coercion: The question of legitimacy' Theoretical Criminology.
