Jon Gould
Dean | UC Irvine
Irvine, CA, UNITED STATES
Jon Gould is a distinguished scholar in justice policy, social change and government reform.
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Biography
Jon Gould is a distinguished scholar in justice policy, social change and government reform who has held key positions in the U.S. Department of Justice and the National Science Foundation. He assumed the deanship on Jan. 1, 2022.
Gould leads the nation’s first school of social ecology, established in 1970 in response to high demand for more socially relevant research. For more than 50 years, the school has been an internationally recognized pioneer in developing interdisciplinary approaches to social problems. Its highly ranked faculty in criminology, law and society; urban planning and public policy; and psychological science engage in research and education to foster informed social action and make the world a better place.
Gould’s expertise covers justice policy, social change and government reform. He was the principal investigator for the Preventing Wrongful Convictions Project, a multiyear research initiative funded by the National Institute of Justice. He is the author of five books and more than 100 articles and reports on such diverse subjects as erroneous convictions, indigent defense, prosecutorial innovation, police behavior, hate speech, sexual harassment and international human rights.
Gould has filled a range of government leadership roles, including senior policy adviser in the U.S. Department of Justice and director of the Law & Social Sciences Program at the National Science Foundation. In 2015, U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts appointed him as reporter for a committee of the federal courts evaluating the operation of the Criminal Justice Act. Gould is a fellow of the American Bar Foundation, a former U.S. Supreme Court Fellow and a former trustee of the Law & Society Association. He received the Administration of Justice Award from the U.S. Supreme Court Fellows Alumni Association in 2017.
Areas of Expertise (9)
International Human Rights
Hate Speech
Indigent Defense
Government Reform
Justice Policy
Social Change
Erroneous Convictions
Prosecutorial Innovation
Sexual Harassment
Accomplishments (5)
Paul Tappan Award (professional)
Western Society of Criminology
Administration of Justice Award (professional)
U.S. Supreme Court Fellows Program
Social Activist Award (professional)
Justice Studies Association
Herbert Jacob Best Book Award (professional)
Law & Society Association
Outstanding Academic Title (professional)
American Library Association
Education (4)
University of Chicago: Ph.D., Political Science 1999
Harvard Law School: J.D. 1989
cum laude
Harvard University, John F. Kennedy School of Government: M.P.P. 1989
University of Michigan: A.B., Public Policy 1985
with highest distinction and highest honors
Affiliations (3)
- Arnold Foundation Eyewitness Identification Advisory Group
- Law & Society Review : Associate Editor
- Wrongful Conviction Law Review : Editorial Board
Links (4)
Media Appearances (6)
Judge Hannah Dugan's arrest raises questions about jurisdiction, preserving judicial integrity
UPI online
2025-05-02
Jon Gould, professor of criminology, law and society at the University of California, Irvine, told UPI the case raises complex questions about the rule of law, immigration and the jurisdiction of the federal government. "The arrest is kind of a Rorschach test in terms of how people think about the rule of law and immigration," Gould said. "On one hand, this is an attack on the integrity of the judiciary, and the state's judiciary at that, by the federal government. The other perspective on this is that a judge allowed her personal interest to get in the way of the law and allowed someone who was under suspicion by the federal government to escape her courtroom."
O.C. Registrar of Voters debunks viral election fraud claim
Daily Pilot online
2025-01-21
Jon Gould, dean of UC Irvine’s School of Social Ecology, praised the Registrar of Voters’ commitment to transparency. “We should expect our governmental institutions to be responsive to citizen concerns, and so it is impressive to see the extent to which the Orange County Registrar of Voters is explaining its work,” Gould said. “It is also unfortunate that this period of distrust in governmental institutions is requiring such explanations.” A poll conducted by UC Irvine’s School of Social Ecology last year found that 26% of O.C. adults did not believe President Joe Biden legitimately won the 2020 election. Among Republicans, 55% of those surveyed share that same skeptical belief.
Former Sen. Josh Newman joins UC Irvine to teach a class on California’s future
The Orange County Register online
2025-01-16
Former state Sen. Josh Newman has a new gig as a senior fellow with the UC Irvine School of Social Ecology, where he will be co-teaching a class on California’s future …. with School of Social Ecology Dean Jon Gould in the fall. … Newman said, “I’m very much looking forward to working closely with Dean Gould and other members of the school’s talented staff to bring real-world insights on politics and policy as part of the school’s mission of developing future leaders in education, research, public policy and community action.”
For Laguna Beach philanthropist Alec Glasser, endowing new UCI center on the ‘power of music’ is personal
MSN online
2025-01-13
UC Irvine is announcing the self-made real estate mogul [Alec Glasser] has made one of the largest-ever gifts to the university by an individual. His donation will endow the Alec Glasser Center for the Power of Music and Social Change, a new institution that will study how music can improve well-being and community. The center will also focus on teaching, community engagement and the celebration of music, officials said. … “How many of us, if we truly hit it big, want to give back and truly do give back?” asked Jon Gould, dean of the UCI School of Social Ecology, where the new center is housed. “Alec Glasser has done just that. Not only is his the story of the American Dream, but he’s providing opportunities for the American Dream for generations of students to come after this.” … UCI professor Richard Matthew … will lead the new center.
‘Highest level of integrity’: Grand jury report affirms credibility of O.C. elections
Daily Pilot online
2025-01-08
“We know that when people have unfounded anxieties, it’s not often the case that a factual report will alleviate them,” said Jon Gould, dean of UC Irvine’s School of Social Ecology. “It’s more about what the basis for the anxiety is in the first place.” A poll conducted last year by the UC Irvine School of Social Ecology found that 26% of Orange County adults didn’t believe President Joe Biden legitimately won the 2020 election. … “Any voice that voters find to be credible that reassures them about the factual integrity of the voting systems is important,” Gould said.
Why the American dream of owning property is dying
Yahoo News (The Telegraph) online
2025-01-04
“I would not say [the ownership dream is] dying, but it is becoming increasingly more difficult. House prices have risen above levels that are affordable to many Americans, especially those who are younger and at earlier stages in their careers,” says Jon Gould, dean of the school of social ecology at the University of California, Irvine. … “Among the solutions being discussed [for the housing crisis] is the need for smaller housing units stacked around mass transit hubs and walkable communities.”
Research Grants (3)
Principal investigator of 18-month project studying prosecutorial discretion in three district attorneys’ offices
Deason Criminal Justice Reform Center $295,000
2018-2019
Co-director of project to administer the National Science Foundation’s former grant program
Law and Science Dissertation Grant Program $1,400,000
2020-2022
Principal investigator of three-year project applying social science methods to the study of wrongful convictions
National Institute of Justice $660,000
2010-2013
Articles (5)
Qualifying Prosecutorial Immunity Through Brady Claims
Iowa Law Review2021 This Article considers the soundness of the doctrine of absolute immunity as it relates to Brady violations. While absolute immunity serves to protect prosecutors from civil liability for good-faith efforts to act appropriately in their official capacity, current immunity doctrine also creates a potentially large class of injury victims—those who are subjected to wrongful imprisonment due to Brady violations—with no access to justice.
Theorizing Failed Prosecutions
Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology2021 Over the last twenty years, the scholarly field of erroneous convictions has skyrocketed, with multiple articles and books exploring the failures that convict the innocent. However, there has been comparatively little attention to the other side of the coin, failed prosecutions, when the criminal justice system falls short in convicting the likely perpetrator.
When the Courts Are Indifferent and Legislators Apathetic: Partnering with Prosecutors to Protect Public Defense
Criminal Law Bulletin2021 The last decade offered advocates fleeting hope that the courts would step in to reform public defense. However, recent decisions by state courts – and the intransigence of the federal judiciary – have proven those prospects a mirage.
“Heart and Soul of a Prosecutor”: The Impact of Prosecutor Role Orientation on Charging Decisions
Criminal Justice and Behavior2021 In most research, prosecutors are depicted monolithically as “interchangeable parts” rather than as individuals with varied perspectives. Yet, the prosecution is becoming increasingly diverse, a shift that is likely accompanied by different approaches to prosecution. Drawing upon the concepts of role orientation and job crafting, we identify three primary orientations to the job of a prosecutor, that of the Enforcer, the Reformer, and the Advocate.
Biden's First 100 Days: Putting the Federal Death Penalty on Life Support
Illinois Law Review2021 In the 78 days between Election Day and when left office, Donald Trump presided over the execution of six defendants on federal death row. So hurried was his administration to see the final three executed that officials repeatedly appealed stays and preliminary injunctions by lower courts to ensure that the death warrants were carried out before control of the US Department of Justice was turned over to Joe Biden and his appointees.
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