Community Check-In: What Would the Ideal Justice System Look Like?

Diana Johns tells us about how she came to pursue a career in Criminology and what the biggest misconception most people have about the justice system is!

Dr Diana Johns is Senior Lecturer in Criminology at the University of Melbourne, where she teaches about prisons, young people and the justice system, and doing research in criminal justice settings. Her research interests include post-prison reintegration, restorative and therapeutic approaches, and the experience of young people and ‘vulnerable’ groups involved with the justice system. In a past life she has also worked in support roles with long-term unemployed and people with disabilities.

In recent research, Diana has explored young people’s prolific offending in Wales, Children’s Court-based youth diversion, and the effects of criminalising narratives on South Sudanese young people in Victoria. She is currently involved in research projects focused on African-Australians' community support and (re)integration needs, restorative responses to adolescent family violence, the use of apps in rehabilitative settings, and therapeutic approaches in youth justice custodial settings.

Her first book, Being and Becoming an Ex-Prisoner, based on her PhD research, was published by Routledge in 2017. Diana founded and co-convenes the Justice-Involved Young People (JYP) Network (https://jypnet.network/).