In Victoria, police decide what to disclose in a criminal record check. These checks go to employers, housing providers and insurance companies. With a conviction, these checks can be a roadblock to accessing all manner of life’s necessities. And it doesn’t just impact serious offenders; a minor drug possession charge at 20 will be on...

This report on Victoria’s prison population investigates statistical trends in adults held in Victorian corrective services custody between 2005 and 2016. As with the Council’s previous reports on this topic (released in 2007 and 2013), this report highlights a prison population growing at unprecedented rates, significantly outpacing general population growth. Between 30 June 2006 and...

This report is the Council’s response to the Victorian Attorney-General’s request for advice on the most effective legislative mechanism to provide sentencing guidance to courts in a way that promotes consistency of approach in sentencing offenders and public confidence in the criminal justice system.

This paper provides context to the outcome of the Victorian State election by examining the redistribution of Victoria’s state electoral boundaries; an overview of the election campaign, the leaders’ debate, preference deals, social media, key policies, and polls data in the lead up to, and during the campaign; and examination of the outcomes of the...

This Research Paper provides an introduction and overview of issues relevant to the development of unconventional gas – coal seam, shale and tight gas – in the Australian and specifically Victorian context.