Research Fellow, Quattrone Center for the Fair Administration, University of Pennsylvania Carey Law
Ph.D., Psychology and Law, The Graduate Center CUNY/ John Jay College of Criminal Justice
M.A., Forensic Psychology, John Jay College of Criminal Justice
B.S. Psychology, Stockholm University
Dr. Johanna Hellgren is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at the University of New Haven. She studies topics at the intersection of psychology and the legal system, with a focus on understanding how individuals accused of crimes (innocent or guilty) and their attorneys make decisions, and how the public perceives these decisions.
Currently, Dr. Hellgren’s primary research examines the Alford plea, a legal strategy where defendants plead guilty while maintaining their innocence to avoid trial. She explores how this legal strategy influences defendants' decision-making, their perceptions of justice, and how the public interprets these pleas in terms of guilt and the fairness of the criminal justice system.
In addition to this, her research on juvenile justice examines the impact of parental advice on Miranda decisions, as well as how procedural justice in legal processes affects the mental health of those involved. Dr. Hellgren’s overarching goal is to identify systemic flaws within the legal system and propose evidence-based reforms to create a more equitable and just system.
Before arriving at University of New Haven, Dr. Hellgren received her Ph.D. at John Jay College of Criminal Justice and the Graduate Center, CUNY, and completed a fellowship at the Quattrone Center for the Fair Administration of Justice at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School.
In the Media
Johanna Hellgren, assistant professor of psychology, co-wrote an op-ed on removing legislation that currently requires children to speak to an attorney before being interrogated by police, thus having the parents become their legal advocate.