Inside CCLJ: Associate Professor Maria Giannacopoulos on solution-focused justice and community

Associate Professor Maria Giannacopoulos is the Director of the Centre for Criminology, Law and Justice (CCLJ). Her work brings together scholarship, community partnerships and justice reform, with a strong focus on creating meaningful change for people most affected by the criminal justice system.

We spoke with Maria about her vision for CCLJ, the importance of solution-focused justice and the sense of purpose that motivates the Centre’s members as they work toward more just futures.

What drew you to CCLJ and what inspires your work here?

One of the biggest reasons I joined UNSW was the chance to lead CCLJ. The Centre brings together brilliant, socially driven researchers and has a distinctive role in the Australian criminal justice landscape. 

Uniquely we have an explicit focus on connecting research with community sector campaigns to transform intractable justice issues from the ground up.

Can you share a project you are excited about right now?

CCLJ recently supported the Solution Focused Justice Symposium in Sydney. It showcased how solution-focused justice is developing in Australia and New Zealand and created space for collaboration between judicial officers, lawyers, academics, students and community groups. We already have a strong connection with the Bugmy Bar Book project, and we are excited to build new initiatives that grow out of the symposium conversations.

What impact do you hope the Centre’s work will have more broadly?

CCLJ’s work is critically oriented towards enabling socially just outcomes for those most negatively impacted by the criminal justice system.  This is why, for example, we are keen to work solution-focused courts initiatives.  These courts look at the underlying issues behind offending, such as mental health, substance dependence or family violence, and focus on support rather than punishment.

What is a challenge you would like to partner on?

We want to work with scholars and community organisations who are interested in how solution-focused justice can be expanded into mainstream courts. The goal is to help courts respond more effectively to broader issues underlying ‘crime’ to enhance social justice for marginalised people who are impacted by the criminal justice system.

What do you enjoy most about working with colleagues and partners across the Centre and the faculty?

Our members and partners share a deep, unshakeable commitment to social justice. We work in different ways toward this goal, but it is the glue that binds us as colleagues working towards a vision that is bigger than us.

Is there anything people might be surprised to learn about your research or career path?

I come from a law background and have a PhD in cultural studies, so in some ways I am an accidental criminologist!