Larry J. Siegel was born in the Bronx, New York. While living on Jerome Avenue and attending City College in the 1960s, he was swept up in the social and political currents of the time. He became intrigued with the influence contemporary culture had on individual behavior: Did people shape society or did society shape people? He applied his interest in social forces and human behavior to the study of crime and justice. After graduating from CCNY, he attended the newly opened program in criminal justice at the State University of New York at Albany, where he earned both M.A. and Ph.D.

degrees. After completing his graduate work, Dr. Siegel began his teaching career at Northeastern University, where he was a faculty member for nine years. After leaving Northeastern, he held teaching positions at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, Saint Anselm College in New Hampshire and the School of Criminology and Justice Studies at the University of Massachusetts, Lowell, where he taught for 27 years; he is now a professor emeritus. Dr. Siegel has written extensively in the area of crime and justice, including books on juvenile law, delinquency, criminology, criminal justice, courts, corrections and criminal procedure. He is currently completing a book on policing in America. He is a court-certified expert on police conduct and has testified in numerous legal cases.

The father of four and grandfather of three, he and his wife, Terry, now live in Naples, Florida, where he continues to write on various topics and issues in crime and justice.