Jerzy Sarnecki began his studies at Stockholm University in 1970 and received his PhD in sociology in 1978, with a dissertation on municipal youth centres in Stockholm.
Early in his career, Sarnecki worked as a youth worker and a municipal policy analyst. In 1977, he joined the Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention (Brå), where he later became a researcher and Director of Research. In 1993, he was appointed Professor of Criminology at Stockholm University, at a time when this was the only professorship in the field in Sweden.
Sarnecki is Professor Emeritus at Stockholm University and Senior Professor at the University of Gävle and Mid Sweden University. He is also a researcher at the Institute for Futures Studies (IFFS).
His research covers a range of topics, including juvenile delinquency, the structure of criminal networks, crime trends, and crime justice policies. He has published numerous academic articles, research monographs, and textbooks, and has played a prominent role in public debates on crime and punishment in Sweden.
Sarnecki has also held significant international positions. Since 2006, he has served as Co-Chair of the international jury for the Stockholm Prize in Criminology, alongside Professor Lawrence W. Sherman.
