Jane Louise Wood

Emeritus Professor Jane Louise Wood is a Professor of Forensic Psychology, Chartered Forensic Psychologist and HCPC Registered Forensic Psychologist at the University of Kent. She co-managed the first evaluation of mandatory polygraph testing in the UK with Professor Theresa Gannon, which led to a law change in 2014. She has provided expert opinion for the Secretary of State for Justice, government ministers and the National Offender Management Service (NOMS). While her broader research focuses on the management and rehabilitation of offenders, gang membership and the links between mental health and offending, her polygraph work has been particularly influential in UK policy development.

Wood's polygraph research has been instrumental in shaping UK policy on post-conviction sex offender testing (PCSOT). Her 2012-2014 government-initiated pilot project examined whether mandatory polygraph testing would increase disclosures made by community-supervised sexual offenders in the United Kingdom, involving 332 pilot polygraph sexual offenders and 303 comparison offenders. Following this research evaluation, the Government proposed that the polygraph be used as an adjunct to traditional supervision practices for all high-risk sexual offenders released on licence in England and Wales, and Professor Wood's research played a key role in the debate held in both the House of Commons and the House of Lords regarding the legislation. She later led a second evaluation of polygraph testing used by the police which began in 2017 and ended in March 2020, examining 557 individuals convicted of sexual offending undergoing police supervision who were randomly assigned to polygraph testing or comparison groups.

Wood's research has demonstrated that supervisees undergoing polygraph testing were nearly 6 times more likely to make at least one risk-relevant disclosure than comparisons. Her 2021 review, however, critically examined why polygraph testing does not consistently lead to reduced recidivism, suggesting that while polygraphs facilitate increased disclosures and serve as surveillance tools, the evidence for long-term behavioral impact remains limited. Her work has been widely cited in policy documents and has influenced international approaches to sex offender management. She has worked closely with frequent collaborator Theresa A. Gannon and other colleagues including Emma Alleyne, Caoilte Ó Ciardha, and Nikki Tyler on this research programme.

Wood served as Managing Editor of Psychology Crime and Law from 2012-2018 and maintains editorial board positions on multiple journals including Trauma Violence & Abuse, Adolescent Psychiatry, and the Journal of Forensic Practice. She has been cited over 3,800 times for her work across forensic psychology, demonstrating the significant impact of her research. Beyond polygraph testing, her expertise extends to prison and street gang activity, youth offending, and rehabilitation strategies, making her a leading figure in applied forensic psychology research in the United Kingdom.