The Ethics of Now with Jens Ludwig — Reducing Gun Violence

Join the Kenan Institute for Ethics and host Adriane Lentz-Smith for a conversation with University of Chicago professor and Crime Lab director Jens Ludwig on the causes of gun violence — and the policy changes that can help us prevent it.

Jens Ludwig uses behavioral economics and data science to understand why people commit crimes. In his most recent book, “Unforgiving Places: The Unexpected Origins of American Gun Violence,” Ludwig writes that gun violence isn’t just a burden our society must bear — it’s a problem that we can actually solve.

With insights informed by decades of research and fieldwork in the South Side of Chicago, Ludwig discovers that most shootings happen in the heat of the moment, driven more by circumstances than by calculation. He argues that finding ways to intervene in the “unforgiving places” that spur gun violence could effectively stop crimes before they happen, giving both potential victims and potential perpetrators another chance at life.

Jens Ludwig is a behavioral economist and Edwin A. and Betty L. Bergman Distinguished Service Professor at the University of Chicago. His current work focuses on how behavioral science and data science can help solve social problems, particularly in the areas of urban poverty, crime, and education. He helped found the Crime Lab and the Education Lab at the University of Chicago to work closely with government agencies to turn these insights into social change out in the real world. The lab projects include working with the Chicago Police Department to implement data-driven management changes that helped substantially reduce gun violence without increasing arrests, and partnering with the Mayor’s Office in New York City to help build and implement a new pretrial risk tool as part of the city’s goal to close Riker’s Island.

Ludwig received his BA in economics from Rutgers College and his MA and PhD in economics from Duke University. He continues to collaborate with his advisor and friend from Duke, Sanford School Emeritus Professor of Public Policy Phil Cook. Together they coauthored “Violence: The Real Costs” (Oxford University Press, 2000), and coedited “Evaluating Gun Policy” (Brookings Institution Press, 2003). He coedited “Controlling Crime: Strategies and Tradeoff” (University of Chicago Press, 2012) with Cook and Justin McCray. “Unforgiving Places: The Unexpected Origins of American Gun Violence” (University of Chicago Press, 2025) is his most recent book.

This event takes place at the Durham County Main Library. A reception and book signing will follow the event. Copies of “Unforgiving Places” will be available for purchase, courtesy of the Regulator Bookshop.

Please be advised that seating for this event is first come, first served.