Deleuze and critical criminology: Actual engagements and virtual encounters

Gilles Deleuze is not on (Anglophone) criminologists’ map, if not very peripherally. The challenges posed by Deleuze’s counterintuitive claims, unconventional terminology and transdisciplinarity have arguably contributed to his underutilisation. However, Deleuze’s concepts hold the potential to enrich criminological inquiry by offering specific ontological, epistemological and normative insights into how the ‘crime and punishment’ predicament is formed, functions and can be interrupted. From this perspective, the following pages first offer a concise overview of Deleuze’s philosophical approach, then examine the existing applications of his work in criminology. The second part of this paper proposes new avenues for integrating Deleuzian thought into the criminological field, examining three case studies—cybercriminology, border criminology and visual/sensory criminology. By encountering Deleuze, the overarching aim is to support criminologists’ (and particularly critical criminologists’) search for innovative and transdisciplinary frameworks to rethink old problems and formulate new ones, whilst pointing to new forms of ethical and political action.