Strength in data, power in community: national evaluation of justice reinvestment

Justice reinvestment (JR) is expanding across Australia as a First Nations, community‑led approach to reducing harm and over‑incarceration. However, little is known about the outcomes communities are achieving, the mechanisms driving change, or the conditions needed for long‑term sustainability. This project will build a rigorous, Indigenous‑led research program to understand how JR works, why it works, and how it can inform future justice policy and practice.

You will work with the supervisory team to design a project aligned with the Indigenous, community-led evaluative approach, that will contribute to the four core research questions:

1. What outcomes and mechanisms have First Nations communities developed through JR?
2. What contextual factors enable or constrain positive JR outcomes?
3. What supports the sustainability of self‑determined JR models?
4. How can these models shape future justice policy and practice?

Depending on your interests and strengths, topics can focus on community governance, youth and family experiences, local data practices, policy environments, or the broader mechanisms shaping JR implementation. Qualitative, participatory, discourse‑analytic or mixed‑method approaches are all possible within the project's evaluation framework.

A distinctive component of the project is the partnership with Justice Reinvestment Network Australia and JR communities. You will have opportunities to work alongside community researchers, Elders and local governance groups, contribute to Indigenous‑led evaluation priorities, and strengthen cultural grounded research practices.

You will be a motivated, independent student committed to respectful, community‑engaged research. This is an applied, policy‑relevant project with strong potential for high‑impact publications, national partnerships and meaningful contributions to Indigenous-led justice initiatives.

The project is based at The University of Queensland within the ARC Centre of Excellence for Indigenous Futures (IFC), supported by national partnerships with Justice Reinvestment Network Australia (JRNA), and the Jumbunna Institute for Indigenous Education and Research (University of Technology Sydney). 

This partnership includes justice reinvestment (JR) communities, community governance groups, and Indigenous‑led evaluation expertise. You will have opportunities to work directly with community researchers, Elders and local JR teams, gaining experience in culturally grounded research practices and Indigenous data governance.

Research will be conducted within a supportive Indigenous research environment, with access to secure data environments, and transcription and analysis software. Fieldwork will involve community‑based interviews and collaborative workshops, supported by established relationships with JR communities and partner organisations.

You will receive training in evaluation design, qualitative methods, and ethical and community engagement. The supervisory team brings expertise in Indigenous justice, community‑led research, evaluation methodology and policy translation, providing a rich, interdisciplinary environment for developing a high‑impact, culturally grounded research program.