Biography.guide
Home › People › Academic › Peter Reuter
Portrait of Peter Reuter

Peter Reuter

b. 1944

American criminologist

Academic CriminologistAuthor
Don't just read it — keep itBiographies to ownE-book · Audio · Video From $7 →

About Peter Reuter

Born 1944. Peter Reuter is an American academic, criminologist and author, known for Drug policy.

Peter Reuter (born December 4, 1944) is an American criminologist and economist. He is a professor in both the School of Public Policy and in the Department of Criminology at the University of Maryland. In 2020, he was appointed University of Maryland Distinguished Professor. Since 1985, his research has focused mainly on alternative drug policies in the United States and Western Europe. In 1988, he was described by Peter Kerr of the New York Times as "one of the few economists who studies illegal drug markets."

Early life Reuter grew up in Australia, where his father, Fritz Reuter, was a professor at the University of New South Wales. Reuter graduated from the University of New South Wales in 1966.

Career After receiving his Ph.D. in economics from Yale University in 1980, Reuter began working at the RAND Corporation in 1981 as a senior economist in their Washington, D.C. office. In 1989, he founded the RAND Corporation's Drug Policy Research Center, and served as its director until 1993, when he left RAND to become a professor of criminology at the University of Maryland.

Biography shop

Don’t just read it —
keep it.

Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.

  • E-book
  • Audio
  • Video
Browse the shop — from $7

Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free

Important facts

Birth century
Nationality
Known for
Drug policy
Education
University of New South Wales, Yale University, University of Maryland, College Park
Employers
University of Maryland

People in Peter Reuter's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Peter Reuter's

Frequently asked questions

Who is Peter Reuter?

American criminologist

When was Peter Reuter born?

Peter Reuter was born on 4 December 1944.

What is Peter Reuter's occupation?

Peter Reuter is an academic, criminologist and author.

What is Peter Reuter known for?

Peter Reuter is known for Drug policy.

What nationality is Peter Reuter?

Peter Reuter is American.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Peter Reuter

· Wikidata: Q42427968

· DBpedia: Peter Reuter

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Peter Reuter. https://biography.guide/peter-reuter/

MLA: "Peter Reuter." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/peter-reuter/.

Chicago: "Peter Reuter." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/peter-reuter/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Page generated 2026-09-27 05:04 UTC