Restorative Justice and Aboriginal-led Decision Making

In a week dominated by stories of the Black Lives Matter protests in the US and closer to home protests against Aboriginal deaths in custody and the overincarceration of our First Nations people, we look at promising Aboriginal-led decision-making processes that are helping protect culture and keep Aboriginal people safer through the justice system in Victoria. We're talking restorative justice, and we're also talking about a beautiful possum cloak that's keeping culture real and present in the children's court.

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Responding restoratively to Covid -19?

Although we are still confronted daily with the immediate consequences of Covid-19, at Open Circle we are beginning to turn our minds to the future. What will our daily life, work and relationships look like when this pandemic is over, and how can we respond with a restorative lens?

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Removing barriers to Aboriginal employment

RMIT researchers have partnered with Aboriginal organisations on a new project to tackle barriers to employment for Aboriginal people.

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Answering your questions about restorative justice and how it can complement the justice system

The Centre for Innovative Justice recently held a live webinar during Law Week in May 2020. The webinar features Centre for Innovative Justice and Open Circle staff Renee Handsaker, Anna Howard and Stan Winford discussing restorative justice and how it can complement the justice system.

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Answering your questions about disability in the justice system

The Centre for Innovative Justice recently held two events focusing on the experience of people with disability in the criminal justice system, and their capacity to lead change.

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Life as a social work student experiencing placement during COVID-19

In light of the COVID-19 restrictions, the six social work students at the Mental Health Legal Centre, Law and Advocacy Centre for Women and YouthLaw have since experienced the most unconventional placement within community legal centres to date.

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Open Circle and Restorative Justice During Covid-19

Restorative justice services around the world are being impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak and are developing their responses accordingly. At Open Circle, we too are working hard to adapt to the rapidly changing circumstances, whilst continuing to provide quality restorative justice processes to our community. The safety of service users and staff is of paramount importance to us.

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Voices of adolescents should not be another casualty of this pandemic

In early March, just before the impacts of COVID-19 really started to be felt in Victoria, the CIJ was thrilled to launch the PIPA Project report. This report highlighted the way in which the current one-size-fits-all response to family violence may be doing more harm than good when it comes to adolescents who use violence in their homes.

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COVID-19 and incarcerated women: a call to action in two parts – Part Two

In this two-part series, we draw on our work with partner agencies and people with experiences of imprisonment to argue for women to be prioritised for bail or early release from Victorian jails. This is in advance of a broader CIJ Discussion Paper regarding the imperative for decarceration of women, to be released towards the middle of the year. In the second of this two-part discussion, the CIJ explores the impact on women of measures to manage viral infection in Victoria’s prisons.

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Financial Counselling help during COVID-19

During these stressful times, it can be daunting and hard to navigate financial assistance systems. Below are some resources from our Financial Counsellor, Sarah Davidson

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COVID-19 and incarcerated women: a call to action in two parts – Part One

In this two-part series, we draw on our work with partner agencies and people with experiences of imprisonment to argue for women to be prioritised for bail or early release from Victorian jails. This is in advance of a broader CIJ Discussion Paper regarding the imperative for decarceration of women, to be released towards the middle of the year. 

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New justice responses must prioritise Indigenous voices

There’s been a recent shift in the politics of Indigenous affairs. After a period of paternalism, the pendulum has begun to swing back in the direction of self-determination.

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Court Innovation during COVID-19 Crisis

Often out of adversity comes opportunity. COVID-19 is disrupting all aspects of our lives at the moment and will continue to do so for months.

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COVID-19, prisons and the courts

Should prisoners be released because of the risks around coronavirus? And the case of the homeless man, just released from prison who was fined $250 for salvaging pies and iced coffees from a dumpster.

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A note from CIJ’s Director

We are facing unique and difficult times with the onset of the Coronavirus here in Australia. Not only will COVID-19 change the way we operate as an organisation, but it will put added stress on everyone working in, or associated with, the justice system.

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The importance of financial counselling

CIJ's Financial Counsellor, Sarah Davidson, recently appeared on Saturday Night with Dr Sally Cockburn, 3AW to discuss the importance of financial counselling

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‘Invisible’ victims of teenage violence are already suffering in silence. The legal system is making the problem worse

The abuse began soon after Anita's* eldest son hit his teenage years, she says, and quickly escalated from simple back-chatting to full-blown physical assaults.

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Launch of the PIPA project – Positive Interventions for Perpetrators of Adolescent violence in the home (AVITH)

The launch of the PIPA project on Tuesday 3 March was a chance to reflect on how far we’ve come in the CIJ journey – as well as how much still lies ahead.

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Adolescent family violence is a growing problem – and the legal system is making it worse

Adolescents are consistently identified as perpetrators of violence against family members. We know this from a decade of Victorian court and police data. Victoria’s Royal Commission into Family Violence also highlighted the growing recognition that adolescent perpetration is a serious concern.

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Old convictions for minor crimes to be wiped from the records

We are delighted that this important reform is happening and that our work with Woor Dungin is being recognised! Bravo Jill Hennenssey MP!

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Measuring crime harm − The reality behind the statistics

The CIJ provided input to the Crime Statistics Agency (CSA) on the development of a Crime Harm Index for Victoria.

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Voices for Change self-advocates call on policy makers to listen

"It's about the people in power, policymakers, government, knowing the truth of what happens to people like me in the criminal justice system" CIJ’s Dorothy Armstrong on Voices for Justice training for self-advocates.

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2020 Study Tour – we’re going to Auckland!

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