This book explores practical examples of co-production in criminal justice research and practice. Through a series of seven case studies, the authors examine what people do when they co-produce knowledge in criminal justice contexts: in prisons and youth detention centres; with criminalised women; from practitioners' perspectives; and with First Nations communities.

Co-production holds a promise: that people whose lives are entangled in the criminal justice system can be valued as participants and partners, helping to shape how the system works. But how realistic is it to imagine criminal justice "service users" participating, partnering, and sharing genuine decision-making power with those explicitly holding power over them?

Taking a sophisticated yet accessible theoretical approach, the authors consider issues of power, hierarchy, and different ways of knowing to understand the perils and possibilities of co-production under the shadow of "justice". In exploring these complexities, this book brings cautious optimism to co-production partners and project leaders. The book provides a foundational text for scholars and practitioners seeking to apply co-production principles in their research and practice. With stories from Australia, the United Kingdom, and Ireland, the text will appeal to the international community. For students of criminology and social work, the book's critical insights will enhance their work in the field.

About the Author

Dr Diana Johns is a senior lecturer in criminology in the School of Social and Political Sciences at the University of Melbourne, where she researches and teaches across the domains of prisons and punishment, children/young people and the criminal legal system, and criminal justice knowledge production. Her book Being and Becoming an Ex-Prisoner was published by Routledge in 2018.

Dr Catherine Flynn is an associate professor in social work in the Faculty of Nursing, Medicine and Health Sciences at Monash University. Her area of expertise is criminal justice and social work, with a particular focus on the implications for children and families of justice policies and interventions.

Dr Maggie Hall is a lecturer in the School of Social Sciences at Western Sydney University. She is a criminologist and former criminal lawyer and social worker. Her work foregrounds the experience of the subjects of criminal justice. Her monograph The Lived Sentence (2017) is part of the Prisons series published by Palgrave MacMillan.

Dr Claire Spivakovsky is a senior lecturer in criminology in the School of Social and Political Sciences at the University of Melbourne. Her work focuses on the violent, restrictive, and coercive practices that are used to segregate and control people with disability in the community.

Dr Shelley Turner is the chief social worker at Forensicare (Victorian Institute of Forensic Mental Health). She holds adjunct academic appointments in social work at Monash University and RMIT University and at the Swinburne Centre for Forensic Behavioural Science. Her research focuses on youth justice, adult corrections, forensic mental health, and problem-solving courts.

Book Information
ISBN 9780367349028
Author Diana Johns
Format Hardback
Page Count 146
Imprint Routledge
Publisher Taylor & Francis Ltd
Weight(grams) 500g