Dr. Jennifer Wyatt Bourgeois

Dr. Jennifer Wyatt Bourgeois is a Professor of Criminal Justice with a passion for social justice, criminal justice reform, and yoga. Dr. Bourgeois is also a postdoctoral fellow at the Center for Justice Research. Jennifer completed her doctoral studies in the Administration of Justice Department of the Barbara Jordan – Mickey Leland School of Public Affairs at Texas Southern University. Jennifer also holds a B.S. in Forensic Science from Baylor University and a M.S. in Criminal Justice from Sam Houston State University. Her research interests are risk and resilient factors associated with children and youth impacted by family and/or parental incarceration, racial, gender, and class disparity within the criminal justice system, discretionary decision-making, and program evaluation. Jennifer is also a certified Yoga Teacher (RYT-200), and interested in the intersection of yoga and social justice.

Dr. Bourgeois has previously assisted with the examination of predictive equity among risk assessment instruments. Jennifer has been published in the Journal of Black Studies, Lone Star Forensic Journal, and Drug Science, Policy, & Law. Additionally, she has co- authored two nationally recognized reports in the areas of pretrial diversion and prosecutor caseloads.