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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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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
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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Project
Disability Justice

Just Voices: Building mainstream justice workforce capability around the NDIS through lived experience

This project will work with people with disability and experience of the justice system to design and develop workforce initiatives for the mainstream justice workforce.

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Project
Women’s Decarceration

Submission to Legal and Social Issues Committee Inquiry into Children Affected by Parental Incarceration

Women in prison are more likely than men to be the primary carer of dependent children or other family members. The increased use of incarceration against women – a global trend – amounts to ‘double punishment’ both for the women, and for the children and fractured families left behind. These children are the growing and largely invisible collateral damage of Victoria’s escalating female imprisonment rate.

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Submission
Systemic Reform

Submission to the Cultural Review of the Adult Custodial Corrections System

The CIJ made a submission to the Victorian Government's independent cultural review of the adult custodial corrections system. It offers insights into the experiences and needs of people in custodial corrections, in particular people with disability and women in prisons.

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Submission
Disability Justice

Submission to the Review of the Victorian Disability Act 2006 (the Act)

The CIJ recently made a submission to the Review of the Victorian Disability Act 2006 (the Act). The second stage of the Review is aimed at tackling inequality and promoting inclusion, following the transition to the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).

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Submission
Systemic Reform

Submission to the Victorian Ministerial Taskforce on Workplace Sexual Harassment

Our submission to this review highlighted opportunities to improve prevention and survivor-focussed responses to workplace sexual harassment by providing restorative options.

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Centre for Innovative Justice

RMIT Building 20 - Former Magistrates’ Court
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Wurundjeri Country

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

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