People

Centre Staff

Rob Hulls

Rob Hulls

Director

Rob first attended RMIT as a law student, where he graduated in 1982. 30 years later, in October 2012, Rob returned to the University to set up the Centre for Innovative Justice as a place to develop, drive, and expand the capacity of the justice system to meet and adapt to the needs of its diverse users.

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Elena Campbell

Elena Campbell

Associate Director of Research, Advocacy & Policy

Elena is a lawyer, speechwriter and former political staffer who has worked in legal and social policy for over 20 years. Elena’s expertise includes therapeutic justice, women’s decarceration, equal opportunity and human rights, as well as the prevention and elimination of violence against women and children.

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Stan Winford

Stan Winford

Associate Director of Research, Innovation & Reform

Stan is a legal and justice system expert with experience in innovation and reform, including user centred design and applications for restorative and therapeutic justice in criminal and civil law.

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Dorothy Armstrong

Dorothy Armstrong

Adviser & Peer Support Worker

Dorothy Armstrong is an advisor, lived experience expert and peer mentor. She works extensively across the disability and criminal justice sectors and provides advice on a range of issues relating to people with acquired brain injury involved in the criminal justice system.

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Phoebe Barton

Phoebe Barton

Project Manager, Harmful Sexual Behaviour Project

Phoebe is a narrative therapy practitioner, community worker, and project manager.

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Jen Black

Jen Black

Innovation and Impact Manager

Jen is a lawyer who has held a number of senior roles in the legal assistance sector, assisting individuals navigate the justice system and advocating for meaningful, systemic change.

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Catherine Caruana

Catherine Caruana

Senior Adviser, Research and Advocacy

Catherine’s work at the CIJ supports the centre's priority research stream into women in the justice system and the need to develop alternatives to imprisoning women.

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Katie Christensen

Katie Christensen

Restorative Justice Convener

Katie Christensen (She/Her) is a Wurundjeri Woman who has extensive experience working in the Domestic Violence sector – supporting Women who have experienced violence in crisis and long term case management and facilitating healing groups for women.

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Yvette Clarke

Yvette Clarke

Manager, Policy and Reform

Yvette is an evaluation, strategic projects, and community engagement specialist with broad experience across the justice sector, having worked across Aboriginal justice, crime prevention, early intervention, and service delivery.

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James Davis

James Davis

Systems & Project Coordinator

James is an experienced administrator, having worked in many varied administrative roles over his career.

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Riley Ellard

Riley Ellard

Manager, Strategy & System Design

Riley has worked in social policy across a range of sectors including disability, child protection, mental health and family violence.

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Renee Handsaker

Renee Handsaker

Principal Restorative Justice Convener

Renee is a highly skilled facilitator specialising in restorative conferencing, conflict transformation and debriefing following traumatic incidents.

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Mina Hilson

Mina Hilson

Centre Manager

Mina is an accomplished administrator and coordinator with experience in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors.

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Megan Hughes

Megan Hughes

Manager, Innovation & Impact

Megan Hughes is a lawyer, writer and policy adviser with experience working in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors.

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Melanie Joosten

Melanie Joosten

Senior Adviser, Research & Advocacy (Open Circle)

Melanie is a social worker, writer and researcher who has worked in the areas of family violence, elder abuse and ageing. She supports the CIJ’s work in the area of restorative justice.

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Eva Lazzaro

Eva Lazzaro

Project Officer

Eva has spent the last few years working in the community legal sector across various legal advocacy, policy and volunteer coordination roles.

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Katherine Ogilvie

Katherine Ogilvie

Social Work & Integrated Practice Manager

Katherine (Kat) Ogilvie is a social worker who works across the Centre for Innovative Justice and partner agency the Law and Advocacy Centre for Women.

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Alex Partington

Alex Partington

Project Officer

Alex has a background in legal practice and has worked across the community, private and public sectors.

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Emily Piggott

Emily Piggott

Senior Adviser, Research and Advocacy

Emily is a social worker with extensive direct practice experience working with people with disability involved in the criminal justice system.

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Matilda Simpson

Matilda Simpson

Project Co-ordinator

Matilda provides project support across a range of projects at the CIJ, with a focus on the CIJ's family violence research agenda. 

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Larissa Jekimovics

Larissa Jekimovics

Project Officer

Larissa has a background in state government and academia, collaborating with communities, and across private and public sectors.

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Samara Young

Samara Young

Project Co-ordinator

Samara has worked across a range of sectors, including Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations, NGOs and the education sector in roles involving communications, social policy, project management and service delivery. 

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Amy Wignall

Amy Wignall

Manager, Service Design, Evaluation & System Reform

Amy is experienced in designing, implementing, and evaluating programs across the spectrum of justice system contact, working mainly with Aboriginal communities and community organisations across Victoria.  

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