Department Chair, Sociology and Criminal Justice; Associate Professor
Sociology and Criminal Justice
College of Arts and Sciencesdichiara@hartford.edu 860.768.5131 H 422
Education
PhD, University of Missouri-Columbia
MA, University of Missouri-Columbia
BA, University of Rhode Island
Since the early 1990s, Albert DiChiara has been on the front lines of the Hartford crime scene. He began his involvement from his published ethnography of the Los Solidos gang, and his work with members of the community to help limit the damage of gangs in the city. He has remained involved with federal, state, local and private organizations working on crime prevention and control, as well as with the gang members and other street involved individuals. He has worked on projects including the Drug Elimination Program in Hartford’s Northeast neighborhood, the Safe Schools–Health Schools project in Student and Family Assistance (where he piloted a critical thinking program for students who were suspended or expelled), the Hartford Public School’s Anti-Gang Taskforce, and the Weed and Seed crime prevention programs in Northeast Hartford and Upper Albany–Clay Arsenal. He has worked with a number of private agencies whose mission is active involvement with at risk, criminal or ex-convict populations. He has evaluated crime prevention, truancy, and other behavior change oriented programs in a number of metropolitan cities and town.