The University of Sydney Justice Collaboration unites researchers, students, and partners to enhance justice systems and outcomes, with a focus on interdisciplinary approaches.
This initiative spans research projects, publications, and events that engage with issues in criminal justice, youth justice, and rehabilitation.
The University of Sydney's Justice Collaboration aims to improve justice outcomes and to improve outcomes for all involved in criminal justice systems.
The University of Sydney has numerous strengths in this area and has a track record of work across disciplines, faculties and research centres directly and indirectly relevant to crime justice systems and those in conflict with the law.
Through a whole-of-university approach, the University of Sydney can have a significant positive impact on justice systems and outcomes.
We are a Sydney Policy Lab node. You can find out more about the Sydney Policy Lab here.
We engage and interact with the following centres from across the University: 听鈥
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The Solutionists, with Mark Scott - Interview with Prof Jioji Ravulo听
Listen via the University of Sydney website
In parts of Australia, children as young as 10 years old can be tried as adults for committing certain crimes. But youth justice researchers like Jioji Ravulo say the evidence overwhelmingly suggests that a punitive approach to youth crime doesn鈥檛 make people safer, and it ends up hurting kids. He advocates instead for a model built on social work and understanding.听
The juvenile justice system is under constant critique. But in this听, LLB student Julia Jacobson talks to Associate Professor Garner Clancy about why there is reason to have hope in the future of youth justice in Australia. With an emphasis on the need for innovation and interdisciplinarity in the study of law, this episode reflects on the relationship between theory and practice.
We run events throughout the year. Check back regularly or subscribe to our newsletter for the latest seminars, tours and more.
Seminar for University of Sydney Students: Learn about Community Corrections and being a Community Corrections Officer
The Human Services Hub is an initiative at the University of Sydney to provide students who might work in one of the many human services with an opportunity to hear from practitioners, learn skills, develop professional networks and to receive updates on relevant policy reforms.
The second Human Services Hub event will focus on Community Corrections. At any one time, there can be as many as 36,000 adults on some form of community-based order in New South Wales - half of those requiring active supervision. NSW Community Corrections staff will prepare over 2000 reports a month for various authorities (courts, State Parole Authority, etc).
In this event, you will hear from two experienced Community Corrections staff working with the NSW Drug Court. They will explain their roles and work, giving insight into potential roles and careers that you might pursue upon graduation.
Date: Thursday 23 April, 2026听
Time: 12-1pm
Venue:听Law Foyer, Level 2, Law Annex, Sydney Law School
University of Sydney students can register their attendance .
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Numerous University of Sydney staff have direct or indirect interest or experience in justice systems; a small number have come together to establish the Justice Collaboration.
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Internal Affiliates
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External Affiliates
Brenda Lin
PhD candidate, The University of Sydney Law School
Operationalisation of the Risk-Need-Responsivity (RNR) approach to rehabilitation in NSW Youth Justice Centres through the exploration of a staff induction training course.
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Laura Metcalfe
PhD candidate, The University of Sydney Law School
The Minimum Age of Criminal Responsibility in NSW: Examining the operation of doli incapax and implications of reform.
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Luke Strong
PhD candidate, Sydney School of Architecture, Design and Planning
Restorative sound environments in adult and youth correctional facilities: Architectural considerations for the design of prisons.
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Susan Morley
Master of Design candidate, Sydney School of Architecture, Design and Planning
Improving rehabilitation outcomes: Using gamification as an effective intervention approach for young offenders in NSW.
Gabriel McGuire is a fourth-year law student at the University of Sydney. He has recently completed an honours in philosophy, writing his thesis on the justifiability of juvenile incarceration:听.
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The Justice Collaboration was recently shortlisted for an AFR Higher Education Award for our community engagement work. This is a testament to the great work by hundreds of staff and students over the last few years. More about the category and our nomination can be found听.
Some of the many justice-related projects currently running at the University of Sydney:
A small team from the University of Sydney in partnership with colleagues in industry, has come together to explore the role of Accredited Exercise听 Physiologists in criminal justice settings. With significant levels of mental illness, disabilities and diverse health needs, inmates and detainees are likely to benefit greatly from services provided Accredited Exercise Physiologists within their scope of practice and as part of multidisciplinary approach to healthcare. The team has facilitated two student projects as part of the Discipline of Exercise and Sport Science鈥檚 Project-Based Learning Initiative in youth justice settings focusing on exercise delivery within high-risk youth while another group focused on presenting a value analysis of Exercise Physiology within justice system more broadly. Other groups of students have engaged with a forensic hospital where students designed exercise-focused education and activities with Indigenous consumers within the hospital. Through experiences gained via these placements, it is clear that Accredited Exercise Physiologists could play an important role in the growing work of Allied Health Professionals in criminal justice settings.听The team is led by听Dr Timothy Davies听and includes听Professor ,听Associate Professor ,听Dr ,听, and听Associate Professor .
Bridges Inside, an initiative of听Collaboration听members Dr 听and Dr 听鈥 in partnership with HDR students Lily Patchett and Amie Doan 鈥斕齱ill return in 2026. Bridges Inside is a forum for students, community members, and academics interested in examining prison听justice听alongside philosophy and literature.听From August to November 2025, Bridges Inside explored 鈥淧rison and Health.鈥 Together, participants discussed how conceptions of health shape and are shaped by the prison. Each session examined an aspect of health within the carceral space to unsettle ideas of 鈥渆mbodiment,鈥 鈥渨ellbeing,鈥 and 鈥渁utonomy.鈥 Stay tuned to find out this year's theme. More information can be found on the Bridges Inside . Subscribe to the Bridges Inside听newsletter .听
Led by Collaboration Director Associate Professor , the Human Services Hub is an initiative at the University of Sydney to provide students who might work in one of the many human services with an opportunity to hear from practitioners, learn skills, develop professional networks and to receive updates on relevant policy reforms. A series of free events will be open to University of Sydney students who might want to work in (but not limited to): child protection, criminal justice, disability support, alcohol and other drugs, mental health, social justice, and welfare systems/agencies. Students from the following disciplines might be especially interested in the activities of the Human Services Hub: social work, education, psychology, allied health, law, criminology, socio-legal studies, and public policy. Keep an eye out for Human Services Hub events advertised above.听
In addition to these student placements, students have worked on various voluntary or for-credit projects. Some have included:
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