Rachel Honor Jensen

Community policing, police and mental health, police training and mental health, police training and autism spectrum disorders, intersection of law and psychology

Rachel Jensen is a PhD student in the Criminology, Law and Society department. Primarily her focus is on a study on police interactions with community members who have a diagnosed behavioral health issue. Her primary interests are policing and mental health and the intersection of law and psychology: particularly how individuals process the law. Most recently, Rachel has focused on evidence-based education theory and police training curriculum development. She currently works as a project coordinator at the International Association of Chiefs of Police.

Current Research

Problem-based Learning (PBL) theory applied to police training

Community-based solutions to youth crime (ABSPY) in Seattle, WA

RADAR (Risk Awareness, De-escalation And Referral) in Shoreline, WA (with the Police Foundation)

Selected Publications

Jensen, R. H. (2019). What Has Place Got to Do With It? Hot Spots Policing to Address Physical and Mental Health. Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice. https://doi.org/10.1177/1043986219836579

Gill, C., Jensen, R., & Cave, B. (2018). Exploring physical force and subject resistance in police encounters with people with behavioral health issues. Victims & Offenders, 13(8), 1106-1131.

Jensen. R. H. (2017). Preparing for rain man: Training, police and autism. (Published masters thesis).

Jensen, R. H. (2014). Jury decision making: Perceptions and biases of the insanity defense plea and defining 'insanity'. (Published undergraduate thesis). Schreyer Honors College, State College.

Expanded Publication List

Jensen, R. H. (2014). "Not Everyone is like Rain Man": The Lack of Diagnostic Police Training on ASDs. (Poster)

Jensen, R. H. (2013, Sept). "Not everyone is like rain man:" The lack of diagnostic police training on autism spectrum disorders. Poster Society for police and criminal psychology, Ottawa, Canada.

Russell, B., Hamel, J. Jensen, R., Mennan, H., & Mitzner, H. (2013, Sept). Police training to identify the primary aggressor: Where the badge meets bias. Poster Society for police and criminal psychology, Ottawa, Canada.

Russell, B., Hamel, J., Jensen, R., Williams, P., & Anderson, B. (2011,Nov). Reliability and Validity of Defining Domestic Abuse in Police Manuals Poster American society of criminology, Washington, DC.

Courses Taught

CRIM 401: Policing in America (Summer 2019)

Education

The Pennsylvania State University -- class of 2014

Bachelor of Arts in Applied Psychology
Schreyer Honors Scholar

George Mason University -- class of 2017

Master of Arts in Criminology, Law, and Society