Before joining Middlesex I was an academic researcher at Goldsmiths College and Imperial College. My current research specialism is the criminal courts, sentencing and punishment with a focus on 18 to 25 year old 'young adults' in the criminal justice system. This overlaps with my previous research on young people growing up in the 'state' childcare system and 'careleavers'. My PhD doctoral research was an ethnography of rave nightclub culture and drug selling.
My main teaching areas are the criminal court justice, sentencing and prisons. I lead the postgraduate module 'Criminal Justice, Courts and Prisons'. I also teach a first year and third year module 'Researching Crime in the City' and 'Comparative Criminal Justice'. I supervise UG, PG research study across a range of criminal justice topics and welcome PhD applications related to my research.
2019 Senior Fellow Higher Education Academy
2009 PGCert. (Higher Education) Middlesex University
2006 Ph.D. (Sociology) Drug Use and Drug Dealing in the 'Rave' Club Culture. Goldsmiths College
Authored books
Refereed articles
Chapters in edited collections
Official Reports
Cracknell, M. and Ward, J. (2022) The Resettlement Experiences of People Supported by the Charity Prisoners Abroad. London: Prisoners Abroad. https://www.prisonersabroad.org.uk/research
Ward, J., Gray, N. and Cracknell, M. (2017) Transformative Learning Through University and Prison Partnerships. Final report to Centre for Academic Practice (CAPE). London: Middlesex University.
Ward, J. and Warkel, K. (2015) Northampton Youth Offending Service Review Panel Evaluation- Final Report. London: Middlesex University. LINK
Conferences
Blogposts
Ward, J. (2021) The Return of 'Drugs Courts': Some Important Considerations, 24 May 2021. The Justice Gap https://www.thejusticegap.com/the-return-of-drugs-courts-some-important-considerations/
Ward, J. (2015) Changing Prisons in Challenging Times. Middlesex Minds blogpost- 27 March 2015. www.mdxminds.com
English, basic French, Spanish, Dutch
Curriculum/subject area
Criminal courts and prisons, courtroom decision-making, sentencing policy and practice, criminal justice institutions, prison and university education partnerships, researching the city.
I teach the modules 'Criminal Justice, Courts and Prisons, 'Researching Crime in the City' and 'Comparative Criminal Justice'.
My current research interests are sentencing and punishment in the criminal courts, sentencing law reform, 18-24 year old offenders, social justice meets criminal justice, problem-solving justice, the lower criminal courts.
Other research interests are comparative criminal justice processes, specialist courts and 'therapeutic juisprudence', young people accommodated within the state childcare system, and careleavers transition to independent living.
Previous research and publications are on illegal drug markets. My doctoral research was an urban ethnography on the 'rave' club drug culture published as 'Flashback: Drugs and Dealing in the Golden Age of the London Rave Culture' (2010). It is an account of the organisational features of drug trading among different friendship groups and within different London nightclubs in the mid to late 1990s.
Doctoral students are welcome in the following areas:
Ward, Jennifer and Cracknell, Matthew (2023) ‘Prisoners abroad’ resettlement service: Housing security and lessons for probation. Probation Quarterly , 27 . pp. 21-25. ISSN 2752-6933
Ward, Jennifer and Spence, Ruth (2022) Criminal court sentencing: the case for specialist ‘young adult’ courts. British Journal of Criminology . ISSN 0007-0955 (Published online first)
Ward, Jennifer (2022) Contemporary issues in criminal court procedure. In: Challenges in Criminal Justice. Johnston, Ed , ed. Routledge Contemporary Issues in Criminal Justice and Procedure . Routledge, UK, pp. 65-84. ISBN 9780367698041
Cracknell, Matthew and Ward, Jennifer (2022) The resettlement experiences of people supported by the charity Prisoners Abroad. Project Report. Prisoners Abroad.
Ward, Jennifer (2021) The return of drugs courts: some important considerations. The Justice Gap .
2022 Co-Investigator (Jenni Ward) Young Adult Transitions (with Jake Phillips Sheffield Hallam University) funded by Ministry of Justice £92k
2021-22 Principal Investigator (Jenni Ward) Co-I Matt Cracknell Resettlement Experiences of People Supervised by ‘Prisoners Abroad’ £5.000.00 funded by Prisoners Abroad
2018 Principle applicant (Jenni Ward), Prisoners’ Learning Experiences in a University/Prison Partnership: Motivations, Future Aspirations and Reintegration Pathways. Middlesex University, School of Law Higher Education Innovation Fund (HEIF) £4380
2019/20 Principal applicant (Jenni Ward), Co-applicant Matt Cracknell, Criminal Court Sentencing: Thinking about Reform. School of Law roundtable seminar impact event 27th February 2020. Middlesex University, School of Law Higher Education Innovation Fund (HEIF)£1,191.40.00 awarded.
2017 Principal applicant (Jenni Ward) Evaluation of Middlesex ‘Learning Together’ module in HM Wandsworth Reform Prison. Centre for Academic Practice Enhancement (CAPE) Middlesex University £9,204
2016 Principal applicant (Jenni Ward) Prison Reform, Rehabilitation and Reintegration. Middlesex University, School of Law Research and Knowledge Transfer Committee- Impact Case Study Fund £2,500
2016 Principal applicant (Jenni Ward) Prison Reform, Prisoner Experiences and Reintegration Pathways, Middlesex University, School of Law Research and Knowledge Transfer Committee £1900
2014 – Principal applicant (Jenni Ward) Transforming Summary Justice, Middlesex University, School of Law Research and Knowledge Transfer Committee £1300
2007 - ESRC Training Bursary £1000 - Training in the use of NVIVO7 provided by SdG Associates.
2002 – Principal applicant and grant holder (Jenni Ward), co-applicant (Geoffrey Pearson) – Economic and Social Research Council. Tracking Care Leavers As They Move to Independence. £41,392.11 Reference no. R000223982
2001 – Principal applicant and grant holder (Jenni Ward), co-applicant (Geoffrey Pearson) Home Office Drugs and Alcohol Research Unit. Care Leavers as a Group Vulnerable to Drug Use. £98,239.98
