Norval Morris

Who was Norval Morris?

Norval Morris was a law professor, criminologist, and advocate for criminal justice and mental health reform.

Morris was a strong influence on United States law professors and criminologists including James B. Jacobs, Marc Miller, Kevin Reitz, Michael Tonry, Franklin E. Zimring, Albert Alschuler and Myron Orfield. He was a close friend and colleague of U.S. Supreme Court associate justice Harry A. Blackmun and of federal district court judge Abner Mikva.

Morris was widely regarded as an advocate for the rights of inmates in prisons and mental hospitals. His theories on prison reform were implemented at the federal penitentiary at Butner, N.C..

Morris was a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation, a Fellow of the American Society of Criminology, a board member of the Chicago Bar Foundation, a chairman of the board and board member of the National Institute of Corrections.