Workplace Death and Injury: Re-visiting the Regulatory Impact of Prosecution and Deterrence. The project will be conducted in Australia's two most populous States and falls squarely within the Commonwealth Government's mission of 'promoting good health and well being for all Australians' - one of the key national research priorities. In particular the project supports the specific goal of 'strengthening Australia's social and economic fabric' by examining the role played by legal prosecution o ....Workplace Death and Injury: Re-visiting the Regulatory Impact of Prosecution and Deterrence. The project will be conducted in Australia's two most populous States and falls squarely within the Commonwealth Government's mission of 'promoting good health and well being for all Australians' - one of the key national research priorities. In particular the project supports the specific goal of 'strengthening Australia's social and economic fabric' by examining the role played by legal prosecution of OH&S offences in deterring serious workplace injuries and fatalities. It is anticipated that the results of the project will be used to reduce the heavy costs that current rates of workplace injuries and deaths impose on Australian workers, their families and the national economy. Read moreRead less
Police Culture and Professionalism: A Follow-up Study of Recruits. This is a follow-up study of a longitudinal (1995-1997) research on police culture. The original research, based on a cohort of 150 police recruits, analysed the socialisation process and the development of concepts of police professionalism. The proposed study will track the careers of the cohort and examine any changes in attitudes to policing and professionalism since the original study. It will be the first study of its kind ....Police Culture and Professionalism: A Follow-up Study of Recruits. This is a follow-up study of a longitudinal (1995-1997) research on police culture. The original research, based on a cohort of 150 police recruits, analysed the socialisation process and the development of concepts of police professionalism. The proposed study will track the careers of the cohort and examine any changes in attitudes to policing and professionalism since the original study. It will be the first study of its kind in Australia and is expected to further the researcher's already recognised theoretical and practical contribution to the understanding of police culture and its relationship with the socio-political conditions of policing.Read moreRead less
The Prison Project: Penal Culture and the Re-invention of the Prison in Australia. The Prison Project addresses the issue of increased use of imprisonment over recent decades. It is the first comprehensive Australian investigation of penal policy and practice at national and state and territory levels. The research will provide analysis of the reasons and justifications for the increased use of imprisonment, particularly in the context of perceived effects on crime and the substantial public cos ....The Prison Project: Penal Culture and the Re-invention of the Prison in Australia. The Prison Project addresses the issue of increased use of imprisonment over recent decades. It is the first comprehensive Australian investigation of penal policy and practice at national and state and territory levels. The research will provide analysis of the reasons and justifications for the increased use of imprisonment, particularly in the context of perceived effects on crime and the substantial public costs incurred by correctional services. The project will document and analyse the effects of changes in sentencing law and practice, and administrative changes in penal policy.Read moreRead less
Risk, Urban Fire Protection and Security Networks. Urban fire prevention is a critical field for public security and economic development. As such, it has always been shaped by factors beyond those of simple technological growth. These include major unanticipated events and the responses to them by many state and non-state agencies with divergent interests and knowledge bases. By analysing the resulting 'technological politics', the project will examine the ways in which this strategic field ....Risk, Urban Fire Protection and Security Networks. Urban fire prevention is a critical field for public security and economic development. As such, it has always been shaped by factors beyond those of simple technological growth. These include major unanticipated events and the responses to them by many state and non-state agencies with divergent interests and knowledge bases. By analysing the resulting 'technological politics', the project will examine the ways in which this strategic field has taken on a risk-based preventative orientation. This will contribute new perspectives and considerations for the assessment and development of fire prevention and urban security in the 21st century.Read moreRead less
Policing Migration in Australia: an analysis of onshore migration policing networks. Recent events concerning the wrongful detention and deportation of Australian citizens have drawn attention to the significant impact of the enforcement of immigration controls within Australian communities. However, this dimension of law enforcement has received little or no attention from academic researchers. An improved understanding of the nature and dynamics of migration policing will provide social benefi ....Policing Migration in Australia: an analysis of onshore migration policing networks. Recent events concerning the wrongful detention and deportation of Australian citizens have drawn attention to the significant impact of the enforcement of immigration controls within Australian communities. However, this dimension of law enforcement has received little or no attention from academic researchers. An improved understanding of the nature and dynamics of migration policing will provide social benefits through the promotion of good relations with ethnic minority communities and the accountable exercise of statutory powers. This understanding is crucial if institutions of social regulation are to adapt to the challenges of policing a society which is not only multicultural but also increasingly globally interconnected.Read moreRead less
Exporting risk: the Australian deportation project. This study will investigate the use of deportation. It will test our claim that deportation has a significant impact on institutions, individuals and communities, and will contribute to a more ethically and legally robust approach to deportation.
Juror confidence in justice: democratic participation or deference to authority? Australia will be better protected from terrorism and crime if its justice system has the confidence of its citizens. Currently it does not. Without such confidence, justice offers neither a credible deterrent nor a protector of rights. Courts are typically designed and run using a hierarchical model of authority, while new therapeutic and restorative approaches make justice processes more democratic. There is litt ....Juror confidence in justice: democratic participation or deference to authority? Australia will be better protected from terrorism and crime if its justice system has the confidence of its citizens. Currently it does not. Without such confidence, justice offers neither a credible deterrent nor a protector of rights. Courts are typically designed and run using a hierarchical model of authority, while new therapeutic and restorative approaches make justice processes more democratic. There is little evidence of how either of these impacts on justice for participants. Understanding the process by which people develop trust during one critical adjudicative process, the jury trial, will allow juries, and other forms of lay decision-making in judicial processes, to be used more effectively in the justice system.Read moreRead less
Investigation of factors that render Indigenous communities in NSW less prone to crime. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are over-represented at all stages of the criminal justice system, with significant negative ramifications for the health and well-being of Indigenous families and communities. This study seeks to better understand the dynamics of communities experiencing higher and lower crime rates, and factors that might assist in not only lowering crime rates in Indigenous com ....Investigation of factors that render Indigenous communities in NSW less prone to crime. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are over-represented at all stages of the criminal justice system, with significant negative ramifications for the health and well-being of Indigenous families and communities. This study seeks to better understand the dynamics of communities experiencing higher and lower crime rates, and factors that might assist in not only lowering crime rates in Indigenous communities, but in improving health and well-being more generally. Enabling Indigenous individuals, families and communities to be able to participate and make choices that lead to healthy, productive and fulfilling lives will undoubtedly also contribute to Australian society as a whole.Read moreRead less
Regulation of Indigenous Safety Strategies: Night Patrols & Policy. This project aims to identify the qualities that make Indigenous night patrols (NPs) unique, to inform and improve the capacities of agencies and regulatory authorities and indigenous communities to work together, leading to greater security, peace and safety. Crime and safety in Aboriginal communities remains a major concern. NPs, an Australian innovation developed by Aboriginal communities, have become key players in local cri ....Regulation of Indigenous Safety Strategies: Night Patrols & Policy. This project aims to identify the qualities that make Indigenous night patrols (NPs) unique, to inform and improve the capacities of agencies and regulatory authorities and indigenous communities to work together, leading to greater security, peace and safety. Crime and safety in Aboriginal communities remains a major concern. NPs, an Australian innovation developed by Aboriginal communities, have become key players in local crime reduction strategies, and carry the endorsement of both government and Aboriginal communities. However, they are operating in an environment of increased ‘top-down’ control and regulation. Does greater accountability to government weaken NP’s ‘cultural’ accountability to communities? This project explores the qualities that make NPs unique. This includes the prominent, and neglected, role of Indigenous women as patrollers and clients, who may lose out should NPs become like mainstream community safety mechanisms.Read moreRead less
Understanding and preventing gun violence: A qualitative study. Gun violence causes significant harm across Australian communities. Excluding sexual assault, firearms feature in nearly one in 10 violent crimes. The annual costs of gun violence run into tens of millions of dollars. This project aims to make an original qualitative contribution to understanding and preventing gun violence in three contexts: drug dealing/trafficking, other organised crime activity, and armed robbery. The proposed r ....Understanding and preventing gun violence: A qualitative study. Gun violence causes significant harm across Australian communities. Excluding sexual assault, firearms feature in nearly one in 10 violent crimes. The annual costs of gun violence run into tens of millions of dollars. This project aims to make an original qualitative contribution to understanding and preventing gun violence in three contexts: drug dealing/trafficking, other organised crime activity, and armed robbery. The proposed research would be the first study nationally - and one of the very few internationally - to interview convicted gun crime users about the acquisition and use of firearms in criminal life. Project results are expected to have direct implications for reducing the impact of gun violence in Australia.Read moreRead less