The study and evaluation of established and evolving views of scholars regarding the future of criminology, expressed in articles as well as books, requires their generalization and makes it possible to formulate certain conclusions. Speculations regarding the future of criminology are primarily connected with the future crime trends and the projected reaction of the society and the theories of crime to their changes. Is the following theoretically and logically sound chain going to be perspective: technological development and rapid technological progress - use of new technologies by criminals - structural changes in crime - systemic changes in the law enforcement structures that meet the new criminal threats? Rapid technological progress, worsening social and economic inequality gave rise to futurological criminological research. Modern theory of criminology has many areas of urgent importance. They include the following issues debated in the academic circles: first, the effective methodological basis for such research, second, the possible ways of improving crime prevention theory that is dependent on the social processes and third, how and in what direction will criminology evolve in connection with the social trends and if it will be able to «incorporate» and take into account future, intensively and actively predicted trends of global social development, while gaining the status of the science of the future. Global criminology, fundamental criminology, digital criminology - what is the attitude of scholars to these theoretical constructs in todays academic discussions? Do speculations on the future of criminology have and prospects? Viewing science today as one of the forces that can help overcome the global civilization crisis has encouraged criminologists to discuss a wider consistent approach to future criminology as a source of ensuring criminological safety of the future society. The authors discuss the necessity and appropriateness of returning, in criminology as well as science in general, to the holistic worldview at the level of scientific knowledge. Criminology should develop by sprouting new branches supported by technological progress. A special part should be played by the criminology of hi tech that converges the knowledge of natural sciences.

Today the corruption has become a major threat for the national security. Not only individual corrupted officials and embezzlers turn against Russia, but also a huge and powerful corruption system. Analysis of the corruption as a negative social phenomenon shows that it implies the totality of all corruption acts, all corrupted officials, as well as an entire independent corruptogenic system. This system often lacks the attention of analysts. Corruption has now acquired a systemic character in Russia. The institutions involved in the study of the corruption phenomenon in Russia include the Law School of Far Eastern Federal University, where in June 1997 the Vladivostok Centre for the Study of Organized Crime was established as part of a wider initiative of American University’s Transnational Crime and Corruption Center (TraCCC) to create and support United Research Centres on Organized Crime in Eurasia. The Centre researchers study the patterns and development of organized crime as well as methods of defeating the socially devastating manifestation of organized crime and the closely associated phenomena of corruption, money laundering, contract killings, illegal narcotics trade, etc. The Vladivostok Centre has produced a large body of research, analysis, translated international literature and popular scholarly works; it has prepared a number of books, textbooks, and academic articles, including many concerning corruption. The inefficiency of the state’s efforts to combat corruption is explained by the fact that the main corruption-causing factors remain unaddressed. They include deformation of the political sphere (privatization of the state, the absence of a real separation of powers, the dominance of the executive branch of government over all others, lack of necessary rotation, irreplaceable officials, lack of transparency, the presence of “shadow” power and “shadow” law)

Directions for the development of modern criminology, as well as the predicted trends of its future shape, are determined by social processes. A rapid development of convergence technology, as a phenomenon of a new type that is the result of the integration of sciences and the emergence of the techno-science uniting many aspects of natural sciences and technology where knowledge is society- and practice-oriented, set new goals for criminology. The achievement of these goals should be methodologically and practically «innovatively interwoven» within the general context of scientific and social development. The problem of basic premises that should be used as guiding principles for the development of criminology requires an urgent solution. Positive criminology, in the system of leading goalposts that determine, among other things, the essence of its methodological basis, should be based on the principles of convergence, universal humanism and non-violent conflict resolution, creation of a healthy society, patriotism, realistic philosophy, it should preserve the traditions of the past and be ahead of modern trends. The question of outlining the subject of new criminology is complicated and unclear due to the singularity of transformational technologies themselves. At the same time, the development of criminological mentality should be based on the necessity to adapt it to the criminal and technological threats of a new type, which are highly probable to spread uncontrollably. Convergence technologies simultaneously produce a multitude of complex socio-humanitarian problems - preservation of humans, improvement of the human potential and the standard of living - that should be solved by criminology from the standpoint of improving its quality and creating an adequate content of its future basics.

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