Research

This study explores how public perception shapes rehabilitative justice outcomes in Australia, drawing on survey data from 93 participants. The findings reveal a significant lack of public trust in the rehabilitative capacity of the Australian criminal justice system. Education and personal experience with justice-impacted individuals emerged as key protective factors against this mistrust, suggesting that exposure and understanding reduce stigma. The research highlights the outsized role of popular and social media in shaping public beliefs about crime, punishment and rehabilitation - often reinforcing negative stereotypes that make reintegration harder. The study underscores a critical gap in Australia-specific research on employer willingness to hire people with criminal records, and recommends targeted public awareness campaigns, employer engagement strategies and further longitudinal studies to measure how shifting perceptions can improve employment and recidivism outcomes for justice-impacted Australians.

This literature review examines the effectiveness of programs and policy initiatives aimed at reducing youth incarceration in Western Australia, a jurisdiction where rates of youth detention remain among the highest in the country. The paper evaluates five key interventions: raising the minimum age of criminal responsibility, strengthening the presumption of doli incapax, implementing multisystemic therapy, adopting relational therapeutic approaches within detention facilities, and expanding restorative justice programs in community settings. Each initiative is assessed for its evidence base, implementation feasibility and potential to divert young people from the justice system. A central theme is the continued overrepresentation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people in detention, and the paper argues that culturally responsive, community-led programs are essential to closing this gap. The authors recommend a coordinated approach combining legislative reform, increased investment in early intervention and diversion programs, and stronger partnerships between government, community organisations and Indigenous-led services to meaningfully reduce youth contact with the criminal justice system in Western Australia.

The Returning Citizens Resource Guide is a comprehensive practical support directory designed for people re-entering society after a period of incarceration. Developed by Reboot Australia, the guide consolidates critical information across nine key areas of post-release life: housing and accommodation options, employment pathways and job training programs, mental health support services, addiction and substance use recovery, financial counselling and legal aid, physical health and wellbeing resources, community and peer support networks, emergency contacts and crisis lines, and digital literacy resources for navigating an increasingly online world. Each section includes national and state-specific services across Australia, with a focus on organisations that understand the unique challenges faced by people with criminal records. The guide was created in response to the fragmented nature of post-release support, where returning citizens often struggle to find the right help at the right time. It is intended as a living document to be updated as services change, and is freely available to individuals, families, case workers, parole officers and community organisations working in the reintegration space.