Jan Jordan became the first woman criminology lecturer at Te Herenga Waka-Victoria University of Wellington in 1989 and was appointed as a professor before retiring from teaching in 2020, when she became emerita professor. Her research has focused on how women's lives and the justice system intersect, and in 2022 she published 'Tackling Rape Culture' and 'Women, Rape and Justice' (2022). Jan lives in Waikawa Beach with her partner, Chris, and dog, Willow.