The Centre for Crime Policy and Research (CCPR) has established strong research relationships with key influencers in agencies in the United Kingdom, the United States of America and Canada, as well as here in Australia. This network of knowledge allows us to bring broad expert views to our work.

We continue to forge strong links with security and law enforcement agencies both here in Australia and around the world.

State: South Australia Police, Victoria Police, the Victorian Ombudsman, Commissioner for Law Enforcement Data Security (Vic), Courts Administration Authority (SA), SA Attorney-General’s Department, the Queensland Crime and Misconduct Commission, Victorian Attorney General’s Department, City of Melbourne, WA Corruption and Crime Commission.

National: Australian Federal Police, Australian Red Cross.

International: Open Society Justice Initiative, Government of Turkey, Government of Colombia, UK Home Office, United Nations Development Program.

The following examples are just a few projects that our team have been working on.

Crime in the City Series

Flinders Centre for Crime Policy and Research is committed to linking its research interests and members’ knowledge to the pressing crime and justice issues of the day. As one expression of this commitment, CCPR has launched its new ‘Crime in the City’ series, a program of public events held in the City of Adelaide that deals with a range of contemporary issues making the media and of public concern and/or importance. Each event will normally consist of several speakers from different backgrounds (both academic and non-academic) addressing a particular issue. Speakers will be drawn locally, nationally and internationally, depending on the issue and availability. There will normally be an opportunity provided in these sessions for members of the audience to ask questions.

CCPR welcomes suggestions for issues that might be taken up for public discussion as part of this series. If you have any ideas, please email ccpr@flinders.edu.au

Upcoming Events

Tackling Corruption and the Future of Integrity Bodies

Tuesday 26 October 2021

4.30pm - 6.30pm (ACDT)

Join this Crime in the City event, co-hosted by the Centre for Crime Policy & Research and Transparency International Australia.

This free event will be chaired by Erma Ranieri (Commissioner for Public Sector Employment, South Australia) and presents a panel of experts to discuss the changing role of integrity institutions. Speakers include:

Professor Andrew Goldsmith (Director, Centre for Crime Policy and Research)
The Hon. Bruce Lander QC (South Australia's former Independent Commissioner Against Corruption)
Professor AJ Brown (Griffith University and Transparency International Australia)
Wayne Lines (South Australian Ombudsman)

The panel will examine the changing face of integrity bodies in Australia and what the future holds for public accountability, followed by a Q & A session.

Register Here

Past Events

Ransomware: The New Transnational Crime Threat

Tuesday 28 September 2021

COVID-19 has coincided with a surge in ransomware across the globe. The panel examines the nature of the threat and ways of responding to it, followed by a Q & A.

Presenters:

Professor David Wall (Leeds University)
Professor Andrew Goldsmith (Strategic Professor Criminology & Director, CCPR)
Dr R.V. Gundur (Senior Lecturer, CCPR)
Aaron Finnis (Information Security Manager, Beach Energy)
Nathan Morelli (Manager, Cyber Security and IT Resilience, SA Power Networks)

Ransomware: The New Transnational Crime Threat

Corruption in prisons

The CCPR undertook a contract with the Western Australian Corruption and Crime Commission to look at the issue of correctional corruption, which arose as a policy problem in WA prisons and was the subject of much media attention. We were asked in particular to look at best practice in prevention and reducing corruption-related harm. Professors Goldsmith and Halsey led the project, drawing in part upon their previous knowledge of studying and working in prison environments. A final report was delivered that looked at issues such as assault in prison, smuggling of contraband, inappropriate relationships, misuse of confidential information and procurement of prison goods and services.

Subsequently, the report was re-written in book form and published in 2016 by Palgrave.

The book is entitled Tackling Correctional Corruption: An Integrity Promoting Approach. It is the first book of its kind in the world.

Young adult offenders

Professor Mark Halsey and Melissa de Vel-Palumbo recently completed an international review of best practice in managing and resettling young adult offenders for Corrections Victoria.

The review was prompted by police data showing a disturbing upward trend in the frequency and severity of offending in the 18 to 25 year old age range—some of this offending had featured prominently in the media over many months.

Of particular concern was the link between young socially excluded males, ethnicity, drugs (particularly use of 'Ice'), and lack of community amenity in particular parts of inner and outer Melbourne. Some months prior to the review, Professor Halsey was invited to speak at the Victorian Police Commissioner's Youth Summit which sought to explore the key drivers underpinning the behaviours engaged by these young people.

Cybercrime prevention

CCPR successfully bid for a research contract from the UK’s Home Office to look at best practice crime prevention knowledge that might be applicable to cybercrimes such as denial of service attacks and hacking. A research team comprising Professor Andrew Goldsmith, Dr Russell Brewer, Melissa de Vel-Palumbo, and Professor Thomas Holt (Michigan State University) undertook the work. A report was prepared for the Home Office.

As part of the contract, Professor Goldsmith and Dr de Vel-Palumbo, were invited to present the findings at a workshop in July at Cambridge University to members of the Home Office’s Cyber Crime Section (Office for Security and Counter-Terrorism: Research and Analysis) and to members of the National Crime Agency’s National Cybercrime Unit. This work will inform policy decisions in relation to targeting crime prevention measures towards young people’s engagement in different types of cybercrime.

Drug Policy

Caitlin Hughes is an Associate Professor in Criminology and Drug Policy and Matthew Flinders Fellow. With a focus on research translation, Associate Professor Hughes has worked extensively with policy makers, law enforcement and health officials from within and outside of Australia.

In a project funded by the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission, Associate Professor Hughes worked with Professor Mark Halsey, Professor Andrew Goldsmith and Dr Sharyn Goudie to develop a bespoke survey to analyse patterns of drug consumption and access to services in a South Australian regional community. This survey data was then triangulated with wastewater data to understand drug consumption within the region.

The project involved extensive collaboration with over sixty different regional stakeholders including local council, alcohol and other drug service providers, community corrections, police, schools, emergency departments and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander service providers.

Indigenous youth offending

Professor Mark Halsey and Professor Andrew Goldsmith recently completed an evaluation and report for the state government of an initiative in the Ceduna and Far West coast region of South Australia. The initiative, known as 'inSync', sought to link health and justice services in the region for a particular cohort of high-risk, indigenous young people who were at risk of falling into, or had recently fallen into, the justice system.

The evaluation consisted of a range of observations of youth and young adult cases in the Magistrates Courts in Ceduna and Yalata, of support services in action on the streets of Ceduna and a range of interviews with different service providers. This work also drew on previous Australian Research Council work conducted by Professor Halsey on youth offending, and another project with Professor Goldsmith for the Attorney-General’s Department on persistent youth offending in the northern suburbs of Adelaide for the Attorney-General’s Department.

The report on the Ceduna initiative will be used to guide future planning and delivery of services to vulnerable young people around the state.