Abigail Henson is an assistant professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Arizona State University. She earned her Ph.D. in Criminal Justice from Temple University in 2020. Her research focuses on issues of transformative justice, program evaluation, and the impact of corrections and policing on identity, families, and communities. Her work strives to shift narratives and eliminate stigmas by both engaging strengths-based human-centered frameworks and applying a critical gaze toward systemic injustices. She mainly employs qualitative and ethnographic methods to provide nuance and context to research findings. She has published articles in top-tier journals, including Justice Quarterly, Crime & Delinquency, Punishment & Society, and Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency.
Dr. Henson is a dedicated teacher and mentor. She has taught a variety of courses, including Victims and the Criminal Legal System, Translational Criminology, Seminar on Carceral Systems, and Race and Justice. Dr. Henson is also committed to engaging with policymakers and practitioners to bridge the gap between research and practice. She has worked with various agencies, including the Correctional Association of New York, the Vera Institute of Justice, Arnold Ventures, and the Tucson Police Department to translate research findings into evidence-based policies and practices.
In addition to her academic work, Dr. Henson is also a podcast host and YouTuber. She is the host of "WhatsJust presents Critical Conversations” podcast that features interviews with scholars and experts on a variety of topics related to justice, inequality, and social change. The podcast is widely popular and has been praised for its engaging and thought-provoking content. Dr. Henson also co-hosts a YouTube series called "Office Hours with Abbie and Juwan," where she and her colleague Juwan Bennett have deep yet casual discussions on issues related to justice and transformation. The series has gained a large following and has been praised for its engaging and informative content.
Dr. Henson's commitment to making academic research accessible to a wider audience through her podcast and YouTube series demonstrates her dedication to bridging the gap between academia and the public. She has participated in public conversations at the National Academies of Sciences and Arnold Ventures on engaging community and shifting perceptions of safety. She believes in the importance of disseminating research findings and engaging with the community to promote social change and justice