Jordan Grasso, PhD (they/them)

Research

Areas of Interest

Sociolegal Studies・Critical Criminology・Queer Criminology・Policing・Safety・Criminalization・Perceptions of Police, Crime, and Law・Gender and Sexuality・Feminist, Queer, & Trans Studies

Publications

Google Scholar Profile

Peer Reviewed Articles and Book Chapters

Bifurcating Relief and Relegitimation of Mass Incarceration: An Analysis of Barack Obama’s Clemency Initiative

Amaya, Elena, Delaney Mosca, Jordan Grasso, and Keramet Reiter. Accepted. “Bifurcating Relief and Relegitimation of Mass Incarceration: An Analysis of Barack Obama’s Clemency Initiative.” Law & Policy.

The Effect of Police and Public Entanglements on Arrests of Transgender People

Grasso, Jordan, and Susana Avalos. Forthcoming. “The Effect of Police and Public Entanglements on Arrests of Transgender People.” Contexts 24(4):74-76.

Surviving Challenges of Accessing Data and Harnessing Emotion as a Tool for Worldmaking

Grasso, Jordan. 2024. “Surviving Challenges of Accessing Data and Harnessing Emotion as a Tool for Worldmaking” in Communities of Practice and Ethnographic Fieldwork: Creating Supportive Research Experiences. Edited by L. Cabatingan, D. N. Martinez, and S. B. Coutin. New York, NY: Routledge.

Understanding the Context of Police Avoidance: The Impact of Sexual Identity, Police Legitimacy, and Legal Cynicism on Willingness to Report Hate Crime

Grasso, Jordan, Valerie Jenness, and Stefan Vogler. 2023. “Understanding the Context for Police Avoidance: The Impact of Sexual Identity, Police Legitimacy and Legal Cynicism on Willingness to Report Hate Crime.” Current Issues in Criminal Justice 35(2):269-289.

Policy Reports and Briefs

Gender Identity Hate Crimes in California

Grasso, Jordan, Nathan Cisneros, and Ilan H. Meyer. 2025. Gender Identity Hate Crimes in California. Los Angeles, CA: The Williams Institute, UCLA School of Law.

Enforcement of HIV Criminalization in Michigan

Grasso, Jordan, Nathan Cisneros, and Will Tentindo. 2025. Enforcement of HIV Criminalization in Michigan. Los Angeles, CA: The Williams Institute, UCLA School of Law.

Violence and Harassment Against Transgender Adults in California

Grasso, Jordan, and Ilan H. Meyer. 2025. Violence and Harassment Against Transgender Adults in California. Los Angeles, CA: The Williams Institute, UCLA School of Law.

Law Enforcement and LGBTQ People

Arrayales, Joshua, Christy Mallory, and Jordan Grasso. 2025. Law Enforcement and LGBTQ People. Los Angeles, CA: The Williams Institute, UCLA School of Law.

Enforcement of HIV-Related “Prostitution and Related Offenses” Crimes

Grasso, Jordan, Nathan Cisneros, and Will Tentindo. 2025. HIV Criminalization in Pennsylvania: Enforcement of ‘Prostitution and Related Offenses’ Crimes. Los Angeles, CA: The Williams Institute, UCLA School of Law.

Impacts of Immigration Enforcement on LGBT Adult Immigrants in LA County

Sprague, Laurel D., and Jordan Grasso. 2025. Impacts of Immigration Enforcement on LGBT Adult Immigrants in Los Angeles County. Los Angeles, CA: The Williams Institute, UCLA School of Law.

Enforcement of HIV Criminalization in Indiana: Battery by Bodily Fluid/Waste Laws

Cisneros, Nathan, Carrie Foote, Jordan Grasso, Phoenix Schlebecker, and Brad Sears. 2025. Enforcement of HIV Criminalization in Indiana: Body Fluid/Waste Enhancement Laws. Los Angeles, CA: The Williams Institute, UCLA School of Law.

Policing Progress: Findings from a National Survey of LGBTQ+ People’s Experiences with Law Enforcement

Grasso, Jordan, Stefan Vogler, Emily Greytak, Casey Kindall, and Valerie Jenness. 2024. “Policing Progress: Findings From A National Survey Of LGBTQ+ People’s Experiences With Law Enforcement.” New York, NY: American Civil Liberties Union.

Book Reviews

Copaganda by Alec Karakatsanis & The Policing Machine by Tony Cheng

Grasso, Jordan. 2026. “Policing the Narrative: Book Review of Tony Cheng’s ‘The Policing Machine’ and Alec Karakatsanis’ ‘Copaganda.’” Crime, Media, and Culture: An International Journal.

The Rise of Digital Sex Work by Kurt Fowler

Grasso, Jordan. 2024. “Kurt Fowler (2023) The Rise of Digital Sex Work. New York: New York University Press.” International Journal for Crime, Justice and Social Democracy.

Feels Right by Kemi Adeyemi

Grasso, Jordan. 2024. “Embodying Hope on the Dance Floor.” Review of Feels Right: Black Queer Women and the Politics of Partying in Chicago by Kemi Adeyemi. GLQ: A Journal of Lesbian and Gay Studies 30(3):351-353.

Commentary & Other Public Scholarship

San Diego is Increasing Surveillance Without Supporting Evidence [Commentary]

Grasso, Jordan, and Flaco Rising. 2024. “San Diego is Increasing Surveillance Without Supporting Evidence.” San Diego Union Tribune. August 1.

Policing the Rainbow [Website & Data Dashboard]

PolicingTheRainbow.com

San Diego Police Department’s Militarization is a Real Cause for Concern [Commentary]

Grasso, Jordan. 2022. Op-Ed: “San Diego Police Department’s Militarization is a Real Cause for Concern.” San Diego Union Tribune. February 22.

Selected Media Coverage

Los Angeles Blade. 2025. “Hate Crimes Targeting Transgender and Gender Nonconforming People Have Tripled Since 2013.” December 22.
Them. 2025. “Trans Women Shot, Injured With Pellet Guns Outside California Gay Bar” November 20.
The Advocate. 2025. “LGBTQ+ People are More Likely to be Stopped, Arrested, and Falsely Accused by Police: Report” November 17.
The Advocate. 2025. “LGBTQ+ Immigrants Face ‘Most Immediate Risk’ of ICE raids in Los Angeles” June 13.
Los Angeles Blade. 2025. “Williams Institute Reports Impact of Deportations on LGBTQ Immigrants.” June 13.
Los Angeles Blade. 2025. “Former Employees of The Ruby Fruit Speak Out About Sudden Closure.” February 12.
LAist. 2025. “What the Sudden Closure of the Ruby Fruit Means for LA’s Lesbian Community.” January 31.
The American Civil Liberties Union. 2024. “55 Years After Stonewall, Police Reform Stalls at Symbolic Gestures.” June 29.
UCI School of Social Ecology. 2024. “New Report Finds Disparities Among LGBTQ+ Community and Police.” April 30.
UCI School of Social Ecology. 2023. “CLS Ph.D. Candidate Wins DTEI’s Most Promising Future Faculty Award.” October 6.
The Orange County Register. 2022. “Final Laguna Beach Vintage Gay Bar Set to Close.” October 21.
UCI Division of Teaching Excellence and Innovation Teaching Blog. 2022. “Experiences and Advice in Designing an Online Course.” February 27.