Jessica Jacobson

Professor Jessica Jacobson is a leading criminologist at Birkbeck, University of London's Institute for Crime & Justice Policy Research (ICPR), where she served as Director from 2013-2024. Holding a PhD from the London School of Economics, her career spans criminal justice research from Home Office positions to independent consultancy before joining ICPR in 2011.

• BA (Hons) Sociology, Trinity College Dublin (1991)
• PhD Sociology, London School of Economics (1996)

Her research focuses on prisons, sentencing, coroners' investigations, and lay participation in judicial proceedings. Employing primarily qualitative methodologies including interviews and observations, her work bridges academic rigor with practical policy impact. Recent projects examine bereaved families' experiences in coronial inquests (Voicing Loss study), problem-solving practices in youth courts, and digital evidence in fraud investigations. Her research consistently emphasizes procedural justice and victim-centered legal processes.

Analysis of her recent publications reveals a sustained focus on access to justice for vulnerable populations, with increasing attention to digital-era challenges like online fraud. Her work demonstrates strong interdisciplinary connections between criminology, legal studies, and sociology, often employing comparative frameworks across jurisdictions.

As Principal Investigator for major ESRC and Nuffield Foundation projects including the £780,756 Voicing Loss study, she has secured over £1.5 million in research funding. Her supervision includes doctoral researchers like Gillian Hunter (current) and Shailesh Kumar (awarded 2023).

Based at ICPR, she collaborates with organizations including the Centre for Death & Society (University of Bath), Victim Support, and the Centre for Justice Innovation. Her research directly informs policy through briefings for the Ministry of Justice and UK Justice Committee.