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.

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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Submission
Systemic Reform

Submissions to the Review to Improve Victim’s Experiences of Summary Criminal Proceedings

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Submission
Systemic Reform

Submission to Legal and Social Issues Committee Inquiry into Victoria’s Criminal Justice System

To further our work advocating for better criminal justice responses for women, the CIJ recently made a submission to the Victorian Parliament Legal and Social Issues Committee’s Inquiry into the criminal justice system.

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Project
Disability Justice

Submission to the ‘Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability’ – NDIS interface with criminal justice

The CIJ has made a further submission to the Disability Royal Commission. Our submission highlights some of the issues, barriers and challenges for people in custody accessing and maintaining an NDIS package, including transitions in and out of custody.

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illustration of three people
Submission
Disability Justice

Submission to the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability

The CIJ has made a joint submission with the Voices for Change self-advocacy group to the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability.

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Submission
Restorative Justice

Submission to the Victorian Law Reform Commission’s Inquiry into Improving the Response of the Justice System to Sexual Offences

The CIJ’s submission to the Victorian Law Reform Commission advocates for the use of victim/survivor focused restorative justice processes in response to sexual harm.

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Report
Family Violence

Behind closed doors: Adolescent Violence in the Home (AVITH) during COVID & challenges to come

CIJ has partnered with the Centre for Family Research and Evaluation at drummond street services on this Issues Paper which examined the issue of adolescent violence in the home during COVID-19 lockdowns.

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Report
Family Violence

The PIPA project: Positive Interventions for Perpetrators of Adolescent violence in the home

This report contributes to an understanding of adolescent violence in the home (AVITH) and explores the development of a considered systemic response.

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Evaluation
Women’s Decarceration

Women Transforming Justice

The CIJ is conducting an ongoing evaluation of Women Transforming Justice (WTJ), a collaboration between the Fitzroy Legal Service (incorporating Darebin Community Legal Centre), the Law and Advocacy Centre for Women (LACW) and Flat Out.

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Project
Systemic Reform

Victim Service Review

The Victorian Department of Justice & Community Safety has asked the CIJ to review the state's service and support system for victims of crime.

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Project
Systemic Reform

Child Witness Service Review

As part of the wider review of Victoria’s victim’s services, the CIJ was commissioned by the Department of Justice and Community Safety to conduct a separate review of the Child Witness Service (CWS) in 2019.

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Project
Disability Justice

Supporting Justice Website Resource

Supporting Justice is aimed at improving the justice system's responses to mental health and disability.

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System Map
Project
Disability Justice

Supporting Justice System Map

The Supporting Justice System Map is a visualisation of some of the factors that impact on people with disability in contact with the criminal justice system. The map was developed by the Centre for Innovative Justice, together with Paper Giant, as part of the early design work to create supportingjustice.net. Stakeholders from across the justice, disability and social service sectors contributed their time to consult on the creation of this resource.

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Project
Disability Justice

Voices for Justice

The Voices for Justice program supports people with disability and lived experience of the criminal justice system to be self-advocates.

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Centre for Innovative Justice

RMIT Building 13
405 Russell St, Melbourne, VIC, 3000
Wurundjeri Country

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

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