Joni Reef is Assistant Professor of Criminology and a Research Fellow at the Department of Criminology, Leiden University.

More information about Joni Reef

Dr. Joni Reef has been affiliated with the Faculty of Law since 2010. She is involved in various research projects and the development of innovative education within the fields of Criminology and Law. Additionally, she holds several administrative positions.

Before joining Leiden University, Dr. Reef worked at Maastricht University, Utrecht University, and Erasmus University/Erasmus Medical Center. In 2010, she earned her Ph.D. with the dissertation "Adult Consequences of Child Psychopathology."

Innovative Education

Joni Reef is involved in various courses within Criminology and Law and actively participates in education-related committees. She is passionate about educational innovation and was selected as a Teaching Fellow by the Leiden Teachers' Academy in 2018. In 2020, she obtained the Senior Qualification in Education (SKO) and became a Comenius Teacher Fellow at the National Agency for Educational Research (NRO). In 2022, she received a prestigious Comenius Senior Fellowship. She is part of the educational board of the Criminology department and coordinates the bachelor curriculum revision project. SDGs and Inner Development Goals are key elements in her educational innovations.

Prison Education

Dr. Reef developed transformative education in which students, teachers, and incarcerated people collaborate on research questions related to crime, law enforcement, and social issues. This method promotes inclusivity and social engagement among students. [Learning behind bars]

Prisons Research & Forensic Care

Her current research focuses on the social impact of detention, unintended generational effects, and the role of fatherhood within judicial frameworks. She is involved in various research projects aimed at the well-being of incarcerated people and their families, and the learning outcomes of prison education. She also researches Terbeschikkingstelling (TBS), long-term placement in TBS (LFPZ), and broader forensic care. Joni Reef is a Research Fellow within the research program Criminal Justice: Legitimacy, Accountability, and Effectivity. As a senior researcher, she publishes nationally and internationally within her areas of expertise and is active in various working groups.

Publications