International Association for the History of Crime and Criminal Justice (IAHCCJ)

The International Association for the History of Crime and Criminal Justice was established in 1978. The founders intended that it should encourage the study of the history of crime and criminal justice in the widest sense. In particular they hoped that the Association would

1. organise, and assist in the organisation of, colloquia and conferences which address issues of interest to the members, and which provide opportunities for the exchange of ideas between established scholars and those just beginning an academic career;
2. publish, and facilitate the publication of, work on the subject of the history of crime and criminal justice.

From its inception, and with the assistance of the Maison des Sciences de l'Homme, the Association published a Bulletin for its members. In 1997 the Bulletin was replaced by the bi-annual, bi-lingual (English/French) journal, Crime, Histoire & Sociétés / Crime, History & Societies.

Each year, as an encouragement to young scholars of the subject, the Association and the journal offer the Herman Diederiks Prize, named after the Association's founder, for the best article submitted to the journal by a new researcher in the area. The prizewinning essay is published in the journal, and the winner is offered the opportunity of one month's research in Paris courtesy of the Maison des Sciences de l'Homme.