International Journal for Crime and Justice (Queensland University of Technology)
Not a member yet
643 research outputs found
Sort by
Dana Peterson and Vanessa R Panfil (Eds.) (2014). Handbook of LGBT Communities, Crime, and Justice. Springer
Full text linkBruno Doering reviews Handbook of LGBT Communities, Crime, and Justice by Dana Peterson and Vanessa Panfil (Editors)
Gender Disparities in Sentence Discourses for Parental Figures Convicted of Severe Violence Against Minors in Their Care in Portugal
Full text linkThis study aimed to scrutinize court discourses in cases of severe violence by parental figures against minors. Studies on gender differences in judicial settings have revealed that women may be either protected or demonized, as framed by the chivalry hypothesis, familial paternalism, and the double deviance/evil woman hypothesis. This study analyzed 66 judicial sentences involving parental figures (i.e., fathers/stepfathers and mothers/stepmothers) who committed extreme violence against minors. Using Braun and Clarke’s (2012) thematic analysis, we found three main themes: Description of the Act, Courts' Justifications, and Aggravating Factors. Findings revealed that maternal figures received more mentions of mitigating circumstances, psychological state, and motivations for committing their crime, but were more harshly punished and criticized, supporting the evil woman hypothesis. In a field lacking ample data, this study offers crucial findings that warrant discussion for contextualizing and guiding future research
Mandatory Sentencing, Remand and “Actual Imprisonment” in the Northern Territory
Full text linkIn October 2024, the Country Liberal Party (CLP) in the Northern Territory (NT), Australia expanded the NT’s mandatory sentencing regime in respect of assaults on frontline workers. It also expanded mandatory sentencing for contraventions of Domestic Violence Orders. The expansion of mandatory sentencing is just one aspect of the CLP’s “tough on crime” reforms to the NT criminal justice system, whose effect will likely be to entrench the vicious circle of trauma, poverty and criminalisation in Indigenous communities. There is a scholarly and law reform consensus against mandatory sentencing, which has received uptake in the form of community advocacy against the CLP’s reforms. In this article, I argue for the need to supplement this advocacy with a focus on the negative impacts of remand and of restrictions on bail. The true driver of mass incarceration in the NT is not mandatory sentencing, but the use of restrictions on bail as a tool of community safety. I examine the impact of the CLP Government’s October 2024 and April 2025 bail reforms. Nearly half of the NT prison population is on remand, with remand conditions tending to be worse than the conditions faced by sentenced prisoners. Calling for urgent reform where remand and bail are concerned should be a priority for law reformers and community advocates alike
Connecting Imprisoned Fathers and Their Children: The Role of Visiting and Child-Focused Visiting
Full text linkThe negative implications of paternal incarceration have been well described in the research. Visiting has been shown to not only ameliorate some of these effects, but to have a range of positive impacts on both the imprisoned parent and their children. What is less understood is how fathers experience visiting and what may facilitate positive experiences. This article presents an initial, in-depth investigation of nine imprisoned fathers’ experiences of visiting and a child-focused visiting program provided by SHINE for Kids (SHINE) in Victoria, Australia. The role and emotional significance of visiting to these men is evident. Drawing from Goffman’s ideas, we explore how this visiting program provided opportunities for men to engage in their fathering role and identity in the context of a total institution. While modest in scale, these findings add to limited existing research and scholarship. Recommendations are also made for further research with imprisoned fathers and for child- and family-focused practice
Reclaiming the Night: A Case Study on Reception of #JusticeForRGKar on Selected Social Media Platforms
Full text link“Reclaim the Night” or “Night is Ours” is a mass movement sparked by the demand for justice in the rape and murder case of a junior doctor at Radha Gobinda Kar Medical College in Kolkata, West Bengal, India. The movement has underscored the transformative power of social media in mobilizing people from various walks of life, as thousands congregated in the streets to advocate for justice and demand safety for women in the workplace. Employing Goffman’s framing theory, this study examines how social media enabled extensive awareness, solidarity, and collective action among various communities through the analysis of digital activism strategies. Using a qualitative approach, this study investigates the intersection of gender, justice, and digital activism, focusing on how social media posts, news reports, and protest coverage fuelled solidarity and global awareness. This research underscores the significant impact of social media in sustaining grassroots movements, particularly in challenging traditional power structures and ensuring that marginalized voices are heard. Hashtags, such as #JusticeForRGKar; online group; and worldwide solidarity activities highlight the importance of digital activism in the long-term success of social movements. All of the visuals work together to amplify the core messages of defiance, unity, and systematic reform
Police Use of Force in Mental Health Crises: An Analysis of Coronial Inquest Findings from Australia
Full text linkPolice are frequently the initial responders to situations involving individuals experiencing a mental health crisis. These situations sometimes escalate to the point where police resort to the use of force, resulting at times in injury and, less often, loss of life. This study draws on data from coronial inquest reports of cases involving police use of fatal force against persons with mental illness from one Australian jurisdiction. It examines the contextual factors leading up to these incidents, the personal backgrounds and mental health histories of the individuals in crisis, and the tactical approaches employed by police leading to the use of deadly force. Understanding these insights is crucial as they can potentially guide efforts to reform police practices in dealing with individuals in mental health crises and ultimately may help to prevent fatal outcomes
“You Have Caused All of This, It’s All Your Fault”: An Argument for the Application of Grievance-Fuelled Violence Frameworks to the Prevention of Male-Perpetrated Intimate Partner Homicide
Full text linkMale-perpetrated intimate partner homicide (IPH) is one of the most common forms of homicide globally. Because of extensive research undertaken over the past 15 years, our understanding of why and under what circumstances IPH occurs has developed rapidly. There is also considerable evidence that traditional responses to intimate partner violence (IPV) are, in most cases, ineffective at preventing the escalation of harm. Considered in tandem, this research and evidence provide impetus to consider the potential of prevention models developed to address other forms of violence. This article highlights the empirical and theoretical similarities between perpetrators of grievance-fuelled violence and IPV and IPH. Using this evidence, an argument is made for applying a grievance-fuelled violence framework in IPH prevention
Incarcerated People’s Limitations of Digital Agency and Re-entry into Digitalised Society: A Qualitative Study in a Women’s Prison in Finland
Full text linkDigitalisation creates opportunities for prisons to promote incarcerated people’s rehabilitation and re-entry into society. This study explores how access to the internet and digital services during imprisonment supports incarcerated women’s digital agency and re-entry into society in the Finnish context. Data (from a total of 37 interviews) were collected during a two-year fieldwork study by utilising an ethnographic and qualitative approach. The results show that the opportunity to use the internet and digital services can support incarcerated women’s re-entry into society, especially when digital interaction is combined with humane encounters, which is characteristic of Nordic criminal policy. However, the study found shortcomings in the digital agency of the incarcerated women, particularly in the areas of digital skills, access and the possibility of independent use digital services. Restrictions on its use are based on security concerns as well as on assumptions of incarcerated women’s deficient digital agency and an instrumental interpretation of normality
Between Securitisation and Unsafety: A Scaled Analysis of Policing and Structural Vulnerabilisation on the EU Hotspot Samos
Full text linkThe European Union (EU) hotspot system bases itself on securitisation strategies, surrounded by discursive humanitarian promises. In September 2021, the EU opened its first Closed Controlled Access Centre (CCAC) on the Aegean hotspot island of Samos. The EU pledged that the vast securitisation infrastructure, including a police station, would provide safety to asylum seekers. Based on psycho-geographical counter-mappings of forced camp residents (n = 26) and semi-structured interviews with human rights defenders (n = 5), this article investigates the relations between policing, security, safety and vulnerability on different geographical scales. These scales include the border regime, the hotspot island and the camp. The counter-mappings show how the CCAC renders asylum-seeking people more vulnerable, with their safety being played off against border security. Testimonies of police violence and racism indicate that the intentionality of harm reaches a necropolitical dimension beyond the safety–security nexus. Therefore, we call for reflection on the colonial legacy of border policing and its decolonisation
Police Responses to Rape in Metropolitan India
Full text linkMuch of the published research on police responses to rape is located in the West. This study conducted in-depth interviews with three adult victim-survivors and 15 police personnel to explore police responses to rape in the metropolitan city of Kolkata, India. Using an intersectional feminist framework, a reflexive thematic analysis indicated both sensitive and insensitive responses and showed that police responses were often based on discretion rather than being guided by the law. Police responses were also shaped by occupational culture, the socio-political environment, the police–criminal nexus and media coverage. The research sheds light on the unique cultural context of policing rape in metropolitan India. It adds to discussions regarding women’s police stations and changes in policing to address sexual violence.