ICJA 2016 - Evidence-Informed Decision Making: Putting Research into Practice in Criminal Justice
The 3rd Annual Irish Criminal Justice Agencies Conference took place on Tuesday, 28th June, 2016, at the Dublin Castle Conference Centre. The 2016 theme was “Evidence-Informed Decision Making: Putting Research into Practice in Criminal Justice". This year’s Conference was a collaboration of The Probation Service, the Department of Justice and Equality, the Department of Children and Youth Affairs (DCYA), An Garda Síochána, The Irish Prison Service and the Association for Criminal Justice Research and Development (ACJRD). The Lead Collaborator for 2016 was The Probation Service.
A parallel session to the workshops took place, where invited research representatives held a roundtable discussion. Feedback from the roundtable sessions was then relayed to the other delegates prior to the Conference closing.
Pictured (L-R): James Martin, Department of Justice and Equality, Prof. Ioan Durnescu, University of Bucharest, Dr. Niamh Hourigan, University College Cork, Maura Butler, Chairperson, ACJRD, Professor Fergus McNeill, University of Glasgow, and Vivian Geiran, Director, The Probation Service.
The report includes the following plenary papers:
Conference Welcome and Opening
Vivian Geiran, Director, The Probation Service
Prisoner Population and Trends
James Martin, Assistant Secretary, Department of Justice and Equality
Keywords: Ireland; Prison Service; Prison Demographics; DPP.
What Good is Punishment?
Professor Fergus McNeill, University of Glasgow
Keywords: Rehabilitation; Punishment; Criminal Justice; Sanctions.
The Process of Re-Entry: An Ethnic Approach?
Professor Ioan Durnescu, University of Bucharest
Keywords: Ethnography; Prisoner re-entry; Rehabilitation; Ethnicity; Identity.
What is Evidence? Knowledge, Reason and Power in Criminal Justice Practice in Ireland
Dr. Niamh M Hourigan, Dept. of Sociology, University College Cork
Keywords: Criminal Justice; Evidence; Resources; Research Project.
Conference Closing
Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality Ms. Frances Fitzgerald, T.D.
The report includes the following workshop summaries:
Linking Research to Implementation: Some Examples of Learning from Practice
Aisling Sheehan, Project Specialist, and Mary Rafferty, Senior Manager, Centre for Effective Services
Sexual Experience Evidence in Rape Trials
Kate Mulkerrins, Head of Prosecution Policy & Research Unit, Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions
Understanding the Role of Pre-sentence Reports in the Irish Criminal Justice System
Dr Nicola Carr, Queen’s University Belfast
Evaluation and Research in the Department of Justice and Equality
Hugh Hennessy, Department of Justice and Equality
Building Relationships with Young People in Oberstown to Improve Pro-social Outcomes
Pat Bergin, Campus Manager, Oberstown Children Detention Campus
Multi Agency Approach in Interviewing Victims of Child Sexual Abuse
Det. Superintendent Declan Daly, Garda National Protective Services Bureau
Role of the Central Statistics Office in Developing Research for use in the Irish Criminal Justice System
Sam Scriven, Central Statistics Office