Jane Ireland

Adjunct Staff

Professor Jane Ireland

BSc Applied Psychology, MSc Psychology and Criminology, PhD Psychology, GDL (Law)

Adjunct Professor

Chartered Forensic Psychologist and Chartered Scientist. Holds a Professorial Chair at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan). Is Violence Treatment Lead within High Secure Services, Ashworth Hospital, Mersey Care NHS Trust.  Is an elected academy fellow of the Council of the Academy of Social Sciences and fellow of the International Society for Research on Aggression (ISRA).  Currently academic lead for the Ashworth Research Centre (ARC), an NHS centre for research based within Mersey Care NHS Trust. Also, Research Lead for the School of Psychology, Faculty of Science, UCLan. Formerly worked for HM Prison Service and continues to work for Serco (private prison sector).

Teaching

Teaching covers forensic risk assessment, legal application of psychology, violent and sexual offending, personality disorder and psychopathy.

Supervision

I currently supervise 8 PhD students covering a range of topics within the forensic and criminological fields. These students at all based at UCLan. I also supervise, on average, 10 Masters students a year.

Research

Core areas of research focus on:

  • Aggression, including sexual aggression. This captures understanding the origins and facilitating factors.
  • Self-injurious behaviour in secure settings.
  • Risk assessment for violence and the approaches to consider in relation to this.
  • Security incidents in secure settings, including bullying and crisis incidents.
  • Psychopathy and personality disorder; correlates, causes and promoting features. Further extends to the development of measures.

Professional Memberships & Activity

Co-founded two journals, one in 2015 and another in 2008, remaining Editor in Chief for both; The Journal of Criminological Policy and Practice and the Journal of Aggression, Conflict and Peace Research.

Consulting editor on Aggressive Behaviour and also The Journal of Forensic Psychiatry and Psychology.

Currently external examiner for the British Psychological Society for their stage II (Forensic Psychology) training.

Academician of the Academy of Social Science. Elected in 2009.

Research Excellence Framework 2021 (UK) panel member for Panel 4 (Psychology, Psychiatric and Neuroscience).

Grants

Jane has been obtaining funding successfully since 2003. Focusing just on the past three years, Jane has acquired the following:

  • 2018: £280,000 for research unit and PhD funding (various research streams, all capturing secure based forensic research).
  • 2018: £34,000 from NHS Trust for CQUIN trauma intervention.
  • 2017 – 2018: £245,000 from NHS Trust to continue and expand secure services research, with an additional £12,000 for a PhD part time funding.
  • 2016 – 2017: £263,000 from NHS Trust to continue and expand secure services research, with an additional £12,000 for a PhD part time funding.  Includes a full time PhD scholarship.
  • 2016 – 2017: £200,000 to developed forensic research across various topics.
  • 2015 - 2016: £164,000 from NHS Trust to conduct research into aggression and security incidents, with an additional £48,000 for a PhD scholarship.
  • In addition, I have acquired 12 ERASMUS university scholarships for interns, from 2015 to the current date.