Mr. Jenks is a Forensic Social Worker, Addiction Specialist, and licensed Private Investigator. He is a court-recognized expert in the field of narcotic enforcement, police procedures, substance use disorders, process addictions, mental health disorders, and treatment.
He graduated from Villanova in 1972 and attended Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo as a journalism major from 1972-75. He left Cal Poly in 1975 to begin his career in the criminal justice system. He was a police officer for 12 years, 6 years on patrol, and 6 years as a detective. He was a homicide detective for 2 years and an undercover narcotics detective for 4 years. He was twice elected to the State Executive Board of the California Narcotic Officer’s Assn. He received the Officer of the Year Award for 4 separate years and a Medal of Valor for heroism in 1985.
Mr. Jenks left law enforcement in 1987 and returned to school, obtaining his BSW in Addiction Studies, his MS in Counseling Psychology, and he completed his coursework for his Ph.D. in Addictive Disorders. He was completing his doctoral dissertation when he suffered a stroke which forced him to suspend his studies.
As a forensic social worker and addiction specialist, Mr. Jenks is regularly hired by private counsel and appointed by courts throughout the State and in the U.S. Federal Court System to conduct forensic evaluations, conduct pretrial and posttrial investigations, prepare mitigation reports, and make sentencing recommendations. He has also testified as an expert witness in over 500 trials.
Mr. Jenks’s daughters, Whitney and Connelly also graduated from Villanova, and he proudly boasts that both girls were the Female Athletes of the Year. He coached softball and girls volleyball during and after his daughters’ time here. Whitney (03) holds an MS in Human Development and is the Director of homeless services for Help of Ojai. Connelly (05) holds an MSW, is an LCSW, and is the Clinical Director for a Behavioral Health Urgent Care Center in Long Beach.
