Benjamin Lessing is an assistant professor of political science at the University of Chicago who studies organized violent groups that do not seek formal state power. His first book, Making Peace In Drug Wars, examined armed conflict between drug cartels and governments in Colombia, Mexico, and Brazil. Dr. Lessing founded the Criminal Governance in the Americas project, which measures the extent of gang rule over civilians in Latin America.
Publications:
Project Title: Inside Out: How Prison Gangs Organize Crime (And Threaten the State) From behind Bars
