First Nations peoples are over-represented in criminal justice systems around the world, including in Australia. Our research aims to understand the causes and consequences of this, and how it can be reduced in ways that strengthen Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

Research focus areas

  • Indigenous justice and sentencing courts
  • Indigenous incarceration
  • Reducing family, sexual and violent offending in Indigenous communities

Related Research:

Nothing works? Re-appraising research on Indigenous-focused crime and justice programs. 

Chief Investigator: Professor Elena Marchetti

Research on Indigenous-focused crime and justice programs often finds little or no impact on outcomes such as reductions in re-offending. This project aims to determine whether such findings are an accurate reflection of program ineffectiveness or are a consequence of how the research was carried out. With an analysis of three case studies of crime and justice programs, this project aims to show why findings that show no difference in re-offending outcomes may occur, and offer a more Indigenous-centric methodology to assess program effectiveness. Comparisons will be made with indigenous methodologies used in New Zealand and Canada.

Supporting First Nations families with a parent in prison: A realist evaluation of Belonging to Family

Chief Investigator: Dr Krystal Lockwood

Belonging to Family (BtF) is a reintegration program supporting First Nations families with a parent in prison. SHINE for Kids (an NGO that supports families experiencing parental incarceration) administers BtF. Krystal used an Indigenist research methodology and realist approach to evaluate BtF. In her ethnographic approach, she used observations, interviews, and documents to establish how and to what extent BtF supported families. The evaluation demonstrated how a small community-driven program adapted to complex environments to strengthen family and community relationships, and help families navigate services. The evaluation also demonstrated how Indigenous specific mechanisms influence participants experiences in support services.