University of Sydney Justice Collaboration

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.

Now a Sydney Policy Lab node

Find out more

Exploring all areas of justice systems

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.

About us

Podcasts

Just Cause podcast - Interview with A/Prof Garner Clancey

Listen via SoundCloud

The juvenile justice system is under constant critique. But in this podcast episode, 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.

In the News

Dr Rohan Lulham - Prison inspector calls for shuttering of 'dilapidated' 19th century Bathurst jail wings (ABC News)
Associate Professor Garner Clancey - A 50pc improvement: Unis turn the tide on disadvantage (AFR)
Associate Professor Garner Clancey - From troubled pasts to a brighter, fitter future (SBS News)

Videos

Youth Justice NSW and the University of Sydney

Childrens's Rights and Participation in Youth Justice Systems: An International Perspective

Reflecting on 25 Years of the Young Offenders Act 1997 in NSW

Learning from Prison-based Education Initiatives from Victoria and New South Wales

The University of Sydney Justice Collaboration is proud to be hosting Associate Professor Marietta Martinovic OAM (RMIT) for an in-person seminar. This seminar will explore prison-based education initiatives where university students learn alongside people who are incarcerated. Associate Professor Marietta Martinovic OAM and Dr Jed Evans (University of Sydney) will discuss their work in their respective jurisdictions, highlighting the considerable potential that universities can play in prisons and the very positive outcomes arising from this work. This event is open to the general public.

Date: 6 May 2025

Time: 5:30pm - 6:30pm

Looking back - Moving Forward - Tour the former Youth Detention Centre at Haberfield

Youth Justice NSW is providing USYD students and staff with an opportunity to tour a former detention centre and to meet staff working in different parts of the youth justice system. Those attending will see the old cells at Yasmar, which was formerly the Young Women in Custody program, and learn about contemporary features of the youth justice system. This will be valuable for those looking to work in criminal justice or related fields. The tour is free and will take approximately two hours.

Date: Friday 16 May 2025

Time: 12-2pm or 1-3pm

Register for a free tour here.

Insights from the Manchester Centre for Youth Studies

The Justice Collaboration is excited to host the Co-Directors of the Manchester Centre for Youth Studies (MCYS). Dr Paul Gray (Co-Director) and Dr Deborah Jump (Co-Director) will talk about the work of the MCYS. Established in 2014 (by Professor Hannah Smithson), the MCYS has established itself as an internationally recognised research centre, known for its innovative methodological approaches to working with young people. MCYS has a particular focus on young people in youth justice systems and young people’s mental health.

In addition to hearing about the work of the MCYS, Dr Gray will discuss his research into violence and substance use, and Dr Jump will discuss her research focused on violence against women and girls, and young people’s mental health.

Date: Tuesday 27 May 2025

Time: 5:30-6:30pm

You can find out more about the event and register here.

Our people

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Our projects and publications

A small team from the University of Sydney in partnership with colleagues in industry, has come together to explore the role of Accredited Exercise 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 health care. The team has facilitated two student projects as part of the Discipline of Exercise and Sport Science’s 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. The team is led by Dr Timothy Davies and includes Professor Jeanette Thom, Associate Professor Gillian Nisbet, Dr Jennifer Fleeton, Amanda Semaan, and Associate Professor Garner Clancey.
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 here.

Some of the many justice-related projects currently running at the University of Sydney:

Collaboration members Dr Jedidiah Evans and Dr Sam Shpall—in partnership with HDR students Lily Patchett and Amie Doan—are running a forum for students, community members, and academics interested in examining prison justice alongside philosophy and literature. For the next semester, the group—Bridges Inside—will be discussing Tommie Shelby’s book The Idea of Prison Abolition (2022) alongside selected works of poetry, fiction, and non-fiction. More information can be found here.
This semester, students doing an Industry and Community Project Unit will be working on a project for Cobham Youth Justice Centre and Youth Justice NSW. Students from interdisciplinary backgrounds will research and provide Youth Justice NSW with innovative and novel alternative recommendations and solutions to maximise the ability to grow communication and collaboration with the family and community caregivers of young people in incarceration.
One Sydney Many People funding provided by the University of Sydney is supporting work focused on Closing the Gap Outcome 11, reducing the over-representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in youth detention.

Dr Jedidiah Evans and Dr Sam Shpall ran Moral Emotions Inside, a twelve-week course of philosophy and creative writing classes, at Dillwynia Correctional Centre in 2023. Students studied moral emotions like grief, love, and forgiveness in an intensive seminar format with lecturers from the University of Sydney, established a vibrant and respectful learning community, and applied their knowledge and experience in a self-led capstone project. A summary of the 2023 course can be accessed here (.pdf, 339KB).
Postgraduate Occupational Therapy students were working with Youth Justice NSW Classification Officers to build on previous work developing resources to explain classification to young people.
An oral history pilot project, led by Dr Jed Evans from the Discipline of English, involved long-term Youth Justice NSW custodial staff speaking about their experiences and insights. This pilot project is testing this approach to capturing stories from custodial staff about their experiences.
Industry and Community Project Units bring together students from across various disciplines and faculties/schools, to look at applying innovation and creativity to solve real-world issues. In semester 1, 2023, students looked at multicultural practice and outcomes in the Youth Justice System. In semester 2, 2023, students explored the possibilities for digital innovations in the custodial setting. Youth Justice NSW was the industry partner for this project.
Two Digital Innovation student groups worked on gamifying parts of a widely used youth justice rehabilitation program.
Two students within the unit of study Projects in Exercise Physiology within the Discipline of Exercise and Sport Science in the Faculty of Medicine and Health integrated an Exercise Physiology service for young people at the Cobham Youth Justice Centre. The projects added a structured exercise delivery service in group and one-on-one dynamics that takes into account specialised needs with respect to engagement and safety.
A group of postgraduate strategic design students worked on a digital transformation project brief for Youth Justice NSW.
Two groups of Law students worked on voluntary Law Reform Projects focused on legal issues of increasing the use of digital technology in youth custody and harmonising youth justice legislation in NSW.
Pasifika Review - Professor Jioji Ravulo undertook a formal review of the Pasifika Program implemented by Cobham Youth Justice Centre. The program works alongside young people who identify as being from an Indigenous-Pacific heritage to further support a deeper insight and understanding of cultural strengths and perspectives that support individual and family identities alongside their well-being. This initiative strived to decrease unhelpful behaviours whilst focussing on pro-social engagement with education, vocational pursuits and employment.
Master of Occupational Therapy students undertaking a Community Fieldwork Project Placement (OCCP5239) developed a series of visual aid resources (pdf, 2.3MB) for Justice New South Wales. The placement was supervised by Associate Professor Garner Clancey and supported by academic instructors at The University of Sydney.
An Industry and Community Project Unit in semester 1 2023. This unit brought students from across various disciplines and faculties/schools, to look at multicultural practice and outcomes in the Youth Justice System. Youth Justice NSW was the industry partner for this project.
Two postgraduate exercise physiology students conducted an analysis of the contribution exercise physiology can make to young people in detention. This project was supervised by Dr Tim Davies.
Acoustic recordings were taken in several youth justice settings. Led by Associate Professor Densil Cabrera from the School of Architecture, Design and Planning, this small project looked at the acoustics of living areas of custodial units.
A working group consisting of University of Sydney and Youth Justice NSW staff explored the digital needs of the youth justice system. Digital Innovation students progressed this work in semester 1 2023.
Students from various University of Sydney faculties/schools (including criminology, social work, media and communication, politics, etc.) have completed placements with Youth Justice NSW in recent years.

In addition to these student placements, students have worked on various voluntary or for-credit projects. Some have included:

Postgraduate strategic design students completed a project in semester 2 2022, which resulted in the 'A place to go' design guidance report (pdf, 10.7 MB).
Digital Innovation students have worked on various youth justice projects. During semester 1 2021 a group developed virtual reality content depicting the day in the life of a youth officer working in a Youth Justice Centre (YJC). This involved filming in one centre and rendering the images in virtual reality. Students enrolled in the same unit worked on two YJNSW projects in semester 1 2022 focusing on a career pathways self-guided learning tool.
USYD Law students volunteered for the Law Reform Support Project and worked on four YJNSW projects in semester 2 2021 (bail, terrorism/high-risk offenders, traffic, and age of criminal responsibility).
A group of students volunteered in semester 1 2022 and extended the work on the bail/short-term remand project, including developing materials for use in police training on making bail decisions.
Students worked on two projects for the Children’s Court of NSW in semester 2 2022. Both projects related to the sentencing of young people in Children’s Court.

Wynter, H., Kallio, A., Lee, M., Martin, T., Ravulo, J. (2025). The dangerisation of drill music in Western Sydney: cultural signifiers, pre-crime policing and the decline of the presumption of innocence. Current Issues in Criminal Justice, 1-17. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10345329.2025.2452671
Kihas, I., Barrett, E., Teesson, M., Touyz, S., Newton, N., Mills, K. (2024). Co-occurring experiences of traumatic events and substance use among young people. Child Abuse and Neglect, 156, 107003. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2024.107003
Fischer, L., Butler, T., Wilson, M., Schofield, P., Jones, J., Kariminia, A., Barrett, E., Dean, K., Sullivan, E., Covington, S. (2024). Exposure to Childhood Adversity and Intimate Partner Violence in a Sample of Incarcerated Women in Australia. International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0306624X241270577
Grummitt, L., Bailey, S., Kelly, E., Birrell, L., Gardner, L., Halladay, J., Chapman, C., Andrews, J., Champion, K., Hunter, E., Egan, L., Conroy, C., Tiko, R., Teesson, M., Newton, N., Barrett, E., et al (2024). Refining the universal, school-based OurFutures Mental Health program to be trauma-informed, gender and sexuality diversity affirmative, and adhere to proportionate universalism: a mixed methods participatory design process. JMIR Pediatrics and Parenting, 7, e54637. http://dx.doi.org/10.2196/54637
Villanueva, L., Rouchy, E., Michel, G., Al Shawi, A., Sarhan, Y., Altaha, M., Fulano, C., El-Astal, S., Alattar, K., Shaqalaih, S., Grummitt, L., Barrett, E., Lawler, S., Newton, N., Prior, K., et al (2024). The Global Impact of Multisystemic Vulnerabilities on Criminal Variety: A Cross-Continental Study in Young Adults. Journal of Interpersonal Violence. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/08862605241270016
Bower, M., Howard, M., Stapinski, L., Doyle, M., Newton, N., Barrett, E. (2024). The profile of people entering the ‘EQUIPS’ offender treatment programs in New South Wales’. Current Issues in Criminal Justice, 36(1), 1-15. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10345329.2023.2253721Clancey, G., Drumore, C., Metcalfe, L. (2024). A whole-of-university response to youth justice: Reflections on a university–youth justice partnership. Trends and Issues in Crime and Criminal Justice, 691. https://doi.org/10.52922/ti77376
Metcalfe, L., Little, C., Clancey, G., Evans, D. (2024). The Changing Nature of Education in Youth Justice Centres in New South Wales (Australia). Journal of Prison Education Research, 8(1, article 5), 1-22. https://doi.org/10.25771/2st1-rn87
Grummitt, L., Baldwin, J., Lafoa’I, J., Keyes, K., Barrett, E. (2024). Burden of Mental Disorders and Suicide Attributable to Childhood Maltreatment. JAMA Psychiatry, Published online May 8, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2024.0804
Lawler, S., Barrett, E., Teesson, M., Kelly, E., Champion, K., Debenham, J., Smout, A., Chapman, C., Slade, T., Conrod, P., Newton, N., Stapinski, L. (2024). The long-term effectiveness of a personality-targeted substance use prevention program on aggression from adolescence to early adulthood. Psychological Medicine, 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291724000989
Clancey, G., & Lulham, R. (Eds.). (2023). Youth crime, youth justice and children's courts in NSW. LexisNexis. ISBN: 9780409357059.
Clancey, G., Evans, J., & Friedlander, L. (2023). Some long-term positive trends in youth detention in New South Wales (Australia). Safer Communities, 22(1), 15-27. https://doi.org/10.1108/SC-06-2022-0023
Ravulo, J. (2023). A Positive Youth Development approach to addressing sexual and gender diversity with Pasifika young people in Australia. In A. Kelly-Hanku, P. Aggleton, & A. Malcolm (Eds.), Sex and gender in the Pacific: Contemporary perspectives on sexuality, gender and health (pp. 53-65). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003142072-6
Lulham, R. (2023). Does design matter? An environmental psychology study in youth detention. In D. Moran, Y. Jewkes, K.-L. Blount-Hill, & V. St. John (Eds.), The Palgrave handbook of prison design (pp. 443-479). Palgrave. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-11972-9_16
Bailey, S., Grummitt, L., Birrell, L., Kelly, E., Gardner, L. A., Champion, K. E., Chapman, C., Teesson, M., Barrett, E. L., & Newton, N. (2023). Young people's evaluation of an online mental health prevention program for secondary school students: A mixed-methods formative study. Mental Health & Prevention, 30, Article 200263. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mhp.2023.200263
Morse, A. K., Sercombe, J., Askovic, M., Fisher, A., Marel, C., Chatterton, M.-L., Kay-Lambkin, F., Barrett, E., Sunderland, M., Harvey, L., Peach, N., Teesson, M., & Mills K. L. (2023). Systematic review of the efficacy, effectiveness, and cost-effectiveness of stepped-care interventions for the prevention and treatment of problematic substance use. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 144, Article 108928. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsat.2022.108928
Schollar-Root, O., Cassar, J., Peach, N., Cobham, V. E., Milne, B., Barrett, E., Back, S. E., Bendall, S., Perrin, S., Brady, K., Ross, J., Teesson, M., Kihas, I., Dobinson, K. A., & Mills, K. L. (2022). Integrated trauma-focused psychotherapy for traumatic stress and substance use: Two adolescent case studies. Clinical Case Studies, 21(3), 192-208. https://doi.org/10.1177/15346501211046054
Deans, E., Ravulo, J., Conroy, E., & Abdo, J. (2022). A qualitative study exploring young offenders' perspectives on alcohol and other drug health promotion. BMC Public Health, 22(1), Article 568. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-022-12953-z
Clancey, G., & Metcalfe, L. (2022). Inspections, reviews, inquiries and recommendations pertaining to youth justice centres in New South Wales between 2015 and 2021. Current Issues in Criminal Justice, 34(3), 255-274. https://doi.org/10.1080/10345329.2022.2091207
Grummitt, L., Barrett, E., Kelly, E. V., Stapinski, L., & Newton, N. (2022). Personality as a possible intervention target to prevent traumatic events in adolescence. Behavioral Sciences, 12(4), Article 90. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs12040090

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Garner Clancey

Associate Professor

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+61 2 9351 0473

Email

garner.clancey@sydney.edu.au

Address

F10 - The New Law Building The University of Sydney NSW 2006 Australia

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The University of Sydney Law School

University of Sydney Justice Collaboration

Now a Sydney Policy Lab node

Now a Sydney Policy Lab node

Exploring all areas of justice systems

About us

Podcasts

Just Cause podcast - Interview with A/Prof Garner Clancey

In the News

Videos

Youth Justice NSW and the University of Sydney

Childrens's Rights and Participation in Youth Justice Systems: An International Perspective

Reflecting on 25 Years of the Young Offenders Act 1997 in NSW

Our people

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Leadership Team

Gabriel McGuire

Our projects and publications

Related news

From ideas to impact: students improving the lives of young people

Transforming justice: The power of arts education

No, music doesn't cause crime - not even drill rap

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Now a Sydney Policy Lab node

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From ideas to impact: students improving the lives of young people

Transforming justice: The power of arts education

No, music doesn't cause crime - not even drill rap

Garner Clancey

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