Dr Caroline Doyle
- Doctor of Philosophy. University of New South Wales, Canberra.
- Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice. Australian National University.
- Bachelor of Laws (Hons). University of Canberra.
- Bachelor of Arts. University of Wollongong.
I'm a Senior Lecturer in the School of Business at UNSW, Canberra.
My research examines how policymakers can develop and implement policies to address social issues like crime and violence.
Over the past decade in Australia, the number and rate of people imprisoned has risen rapidly. The number of people returning to prison and expenditure on justice services also continue to increase. Upon release from prison, people face a range of challenges, such as obtaining and maintaining employment and housing, reconnecting with family and friends and addressing health and addiction issues. These challenges are strongly linked to the likelihood of returning to prison. My research takes a qualitative approach to understanding the experiences of people in prison and leaving prison, such as how in-prison programs can prepare people for release and how corrective services can best support people in prison with disabilities. In my research, I advocate for the importance of policymakers acknowledging the lived experience of people in the criminal justice system when designing and implementing policies.
My research also looks at crime and violence in Latin America and the Caribbean. This region is commonly known as the most violent in the world. My research examines the complexities of measuring violence in the region and the need to employ qualitative methodologies to fully understand the realities of this violence. In 2024, I published Researching Crime and Violence in Medellín, Colombia: Truth versus Truths where I question categories, assumptions and labels around interpretations of criminal actors and violence in Latin America and the Caribbean.
My research has been published in policy, crime, and justice journals and my work has been featured in public media such as ABC Radio, ABC News, the Canberra Times, SBS News, The Conversation and the Australian Institute of International Affairs. I was the President of Prisoners Aid (ACT) from 2018 to 2024 where I regularly advised policymakers and service providers on policies and programs to improve the lives of ACT detainees during incarceration and post-release.
You can find my list of publications here: https://scholar.google.com.au/citations?user=sQI6v7MAAAAJ&hl=en
- Publications
- Media
- Grants
- Awards
- Research Activities
- Engagement
- Teaching and Supervision
2023. Where specialist and mainstream service systems collide: The National Disability Insurance Scheme in prisons. APSA-ANZSOG Policy Studies Prize.
2015. Vice Chancellors Citation for Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning - Innovation. University of Canberra.
Recent Media:
2023. Children of incarcerated parents: the ‘invisible victims’ of the criminal justice system. Power to Persuade.
2023. Prisoners Aid ACT: the charity we never want to need, but just might. Canberra Weekly.
2023. Supporting the 'invisible victims' of the criminal justice system. LSJ Online.
2023. Punishing disability. The experience of incarceration for Australians with disability. Canberra Disability Review.
2022. How do you break the cycle of crime? A study of ACT prisoners released from the Alexander Maconochie Centre has some surprising results. ABC Radio Canberra.
2022. Incarcerated people with disability don’t get the support they need that makes them more likely to reoffend. The Conversation.
2021. Finding work after prison: barriers and opportunities for former detainees in the ACT. Power to Persuade.
2021. Efforts ramp up to prevent Canberra's prisoners returning to jail. Canberra Times.
2020. A protest movement of a different kind is taking place in Colombia with singers, actors and journalists holding a virtual concert, highlight concerns about recent killings. SBS News.
2020. Older prisoners need dedicated case manager as numbers grow, new research suggests. Canberra Times.
2020. Exploring ways to reduce Australia's reoffending rates. Canberra Times
Podcasts:
2021. Experiences of people in Australian prisons. Talking Time Podcast.
My Teaching
I have experience teaching a range of business, policy and law subjects at an undergraduate and postgraduate level. I'm currently teaching ZBUS8109 Business Law.