RMIT University Centre for Innovative Justice

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Research + Projects

The CIJ undertakes research and makes submissions on the themes of restorative justice, family violence, women's decarceration and systemic reform. We work in partnership with the justice sector, government and justice system users, as well as independently.

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Download our publications here

You can access all CIJ publications as PDFs for download using the links below.

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All submissions
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Download our submissions here

You can access all CIJ submissions as PDFs for download using the links below.

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Project
Family Violence

IVY Study: Towards an Australian response to the use of intimate partner Violence by Young People

The CIJ is proud to announce that we will be leading the IVY Study: Towards an Australian response to the use of Intimate partner Violence by Young People.

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Project
Family Violence, Women’s Decarceration

The misidentification of First Nations women as family violence perpetrators   

The CIJ is excited to be working with Djirra, Victoria’s statewide Aboriginal family violence prevention and legal service, on a new, community-led project investigating a highly damaging trend in the justice system.

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Project

Victoria Legal Aid Remand Review

The CIJ was commissioned for an independent review of VLA’s legal and non-legal services to people on remand.

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Project
All

Supporting Africause and the African-Australian community in designing an innovative alternative justice response   

Following several months of consultation with the African Australian community in Melbourne’s inner west, the CIJ has assisted in the design of an innovative, community led justice model to support young African Australians stay out of the criminal justice system. 

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Project
Women’s Decarceration

Evaluation of the Women’s SupPORT Pathways Project

The CIJ’s independent evaluation of the Women’s SupPORT Pathways project, delivered by the Law and Advocacy Centre for Women (LACW), has found evidence of a range of positive impacts from this innovative, gender-based sports program.

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Project
Systemic Reform

Interview Study: Exploring justice system experiences of complainants in sexual offence matters

Commissioned by the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research, this project aims to address a critical gap in understanding experiences of complainants of sexual offences in the NSW criminal justice system.

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Project
Systemic Reform

Parkville College Understanding Pathways Project

Understanding Pathways for transition from detention to education and employment

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Project
Systemic Reform

Understanding Experiences of Online Courts and Tribunals

This project will focus on developing practical approaches that enhance the delivery of online hearings so that these remain a positive and critical innovation in Victorian courts and tribunals.

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Project
Family Violence

Evaluating the Magistrates’ Court of Victoria’s Expansion of the Remote Hearing Support Service

This service offers support and safety to people seeking the protection of a Family Violence Intervention Order by connecting them with specialist practitioners prior to, during and following the hearing, as well as offering the opportunity to participate in the hearing from a remote location, rather than attending court in person.

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Project
Family Violence

Future-proofing Safety – A major project examining family violence in Victoria during COVID-19

The CIJ are proud to partner with Drummond Street’s Centre for Family Research and Evaluation (CFRE) and the Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS) on the Futureproofing Safety – COVID-19 and family violence in Victoria project.

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Project
Women’s Decarceration

Feasibility Study – residential facility for Aboriginal women in contact with the criminal justice system

Developing a model and plan for implementation for a residential program for Aboriginal women in Victoria.

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Project
Disability Justice

Forensic Disability Lived Experience Framework

The framework will be for Department of Families, Fairness and Housing (DFFH)’s forensic disability and complex needs services and will provide the department with a roadmap on engaging people with lived experience of intellectual disability and the criminal justice system in policy and service design work.

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Project
Family Violence

Evaluation of Victoria Legal Aid’s Legal Practice Model

The CIJ have been commissioned to conduct what emerged as a developmental evaluation – working alongside VLA to support the continuous generation of learnings as the Model becomes bedded down.

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Project
Family Violence

Young people’s MARAM Practice Guidance – Evidence Review

In 2022 the CIJ was commissioned as a subject matter expert to contribute to a Practice Guidance regarding the use of family violence by young people. The project included facilitating consultations and then developing content for Family Safety Victoria to incorporate into a Practice Guidance which will accompany the children and young people focused Family Violence Multi-Agency Risk Assessment and Management (MARAM) tools, to be released in 2023. 

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Project
Systemic Reform

The Yallum Yallum Project: Developing a self-determined justice model

This project aims to support the design of an independent self-determined justice model incorporating an ‘Elders and Respected Persons Council’, to be known as Yallum Yallum.

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Project
Family Violence

Evaluation of Youthlaw’s Pre-court support for adolescents using violence in the home

The Report highlights that early, specialist legal and non-legal support and pre-court negotiations, often results in timely and effective outcomes for young people, reduces harmful contact with the justice system and improved safety for their families.

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Project
Women’s Decarceration

Community SupPORT Pathways

The CIJ is supporting an exciting pilot project led by LACW. Delivered in partnership with the Victorian Amateur Football Association, Community SupPORT Pathways for Women links criminalised women with community football clubs, providing opportunities for employment, volunteering, recreation – and, most importantly, belonging. The CIJ will deliver the embedded participatory evaluation component of the program.

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Project
Women’s Decarceration

Lessons from COVID-19: The use of remand, bail and sentencing for women

As part of our continuing focus on the specific needs of women in the justice system, the CIJ has embarked on a project developed in partnership with the Law and Advocacy Centre for Women, which explores women's experiences of criminal justice contact and legal outcomes since the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Project
Family Violence

WRAP around families experiencing adolescent violence in the home (AVITH): Towards a collaborative service response

The “Whole-of-family Responses to AVITH Program (WRAP) around families experiencing AVITH” (the WRAP Around project) aims to develop a framework for holistic, evidence-based and collaborative practice.

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Project
Family Violence

Signposts to perpetrator change – Reporting outcomes from change-focused family violence work

The CIJ and Stopping Family Violence considered that it was time to discuss ways to reflect and report on a perpetrator’s progress towards becoming safer. This avoids false assumptions and aids programs and evidence development.

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Project
Women’s Decarceration

Leaving custody behind: Foundations for safer communities and gender-informed criminal justice systems

This Issues Paper draws together evidence about women’s involvement in the criminal justice system and the factors behind the escalating female imprisonment rate in Victoria. It highlights the disproportionate harm caused by the incarceration of women and the urgent need to find alternatives that better meet human rights standards.

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Project
Criminal Record Discrimination

Rethinking Criminal Record Checks

Building on earlier successful work addressing this issue, the Rethinking Criminal Records project will educate employers and job seekers about their rights and obligations in disclosing criminal history.

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Centre for Innovative Justice

RMIT Building 20 – Former Magistrates’ Court
124 La Trobe Street, Melbourne, VIC, 3000
Wurundjeri Country

Email: cij@rmit.edu.au
Phone: 03 9925 7249

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