Criminal Justice

The criminal justice system costs taxpayers more than $15 billion each year. Over the past decade, Australia’s prison population has grown by 40 percent, with the rate of incarceration now higher than it has been for a century. But crime and recidivism are not falling. Here you will find the IPA's work on how to improve Australia's criminal justice system.

Research Papers

The Use of Prisons in Australia: Reform Directions

Andrew Bushnell and Daniel Wild 2 December 2016 Criminal justice, Publications,

One of the most important roles for government is the protection of people’s lives, liberty and possessions through a well-functioning criminal justice system. Keeping people safe from...

Criminal Justice

Crime & Punishments

Andrew Bushnell Started 1 December 2016 Criminal justice,

Australia’s wasteful criminal justice system needs a major overhaul, but we shouldn’t leave it to the bureaucrats, writes Andrew Bushnell Australia’s criminal justice system is ineffective and...

Submission To The Royal Commission Into The Protection And Detention Of Children In The Northern Territory

Andrew Bushnell 27 October 2016 Criminal justice, Publications,

The central contention of this submission is that while there is rightly significant community concern about the operation of youth justice facilities in the Northern Territory, this concern...

In The News

South Australia’s New Home Detention Laws Should Not Be About Coddling Criminals

Andrew Bushnell 21 October 2016 Criminal justice, Ideas and liberty,

Lindsay Bassani, a former Education Department bureaucrat and football coach, was sentenced to home detention after stealing almost $10,000 from the South Australian Aboriginal Sports Training...

In The News