Wade C Jacobsen

Wade C. Jacobsen is an Associate Professor and Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of Maryland. He holds affiliations with the Maryland Population Research Center, Maryland Longitudinal Data System Center, and the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Crime, Security and Law. His research focuses on how risky behaviors in youth are shaped by interactions with institutions (schools, criminal justice systems) and social networks, particularly examining school discipline, criminal justice involvement, and intergenerational impacts of punishment. Jacobsen earned his Ph.D. in Sociology and Criminology from Penn State University (2017), with prior roles at Princeton University and Penn State. His work highlights how institutional experiences influence adolescents’ peer networks and long-term behavior.

Research interests include school punishment dynamics, juvenile justice system effects, and the role of social networks in mitigating or exacerbating delinquency. Recent work explores racialized constraints in education access for teens affected by mass incarceration and the intergenerational consequences of paternal incarceration on school outcomes. Key findings emphasize how exclusionary discipline practices in schools disproportionately affect marginalized youth and disrupt social ties.

Jacobsen’s teaching includes courses on criminological theory (CCJS654), special topics in criminology (CCJS699Q), and independent research (CCJS388H). He advises five graduate students and has published extensively in top journals like Criminology and Sociology of Education. His research bridges sociology and criminology, offering policy-relevant insights into youth development and institutional reform.