This is my last editorial, and the final issue that I am editing of the Nordic Journal of Criminology. When I started as an editor in May 2018, I did not know what an exciting, challenging and interesting journey I set out for. There is so much fascinating and criminologically relevant research being conducted in the Nordic countries, research that is both empirically and theoretically innovative. Nordic researchers, or academics who are studying the Nordic countries, are interested in everything from incarcerated women’s cooking to CCTV effects in deprived neighbourhoods. These two subjects, and many more, are represented in this issue alone. The uniqueness of the Nordic countries was also the ground for the previous, special issue on sexual violence (Vol 22, No 1), where the high gender equality was contrasted to the increasing levels of reported sexual violence.
The research articles, which are the products of the authors’ hard work, are the core of this journal. However, many more are involved in producing this journal. The journal is mainly financed by the Nordic Research Council for Criminology (NSfK) and published by Taylor & Francis/Routledge. Furthermore, three assistants have helped me over the years with the daily work of the journal: Elin Jönsson, Anders Stenström, and Tea Fredriksson who has also proof-read editorials and blog posts. Last, but not least, we have had great help from our reviewers, and I am struck by their generosity with their time and knowledge. I would like to extend a huge thank you to all reviewers during these last four years, without whom we would not have been able to produce a journal of this quality. Our reviewer list on the next page is a small appreciation of your efforts.
Working with the Nordic Journal of Criminology has not ‘only’ meant producing the journal, but also trying to develop it in various ways to make it more visible, in turn making the articles more read. I have established a ‘Best Article Prize’ to promote particularly good articles, and I have, together with my assistants, introduced the journal on Twitter, and started a Nordic Criminology Blog together with the NSfK. But the greatest change was probably to rename the journal Nordic Journal of Criminology. Fortunately, over time, all this work has paid off as the journal receives more and more submissions, and the articles are increasingly read and cited.
With this, I am happy to hand over the editorship to the forthcoming editor, Sébastien Tutenges, and welcome him on an exciting journey!