In 2001, ACSO brought together around 100 industry stakeholders to discuss post-release support services. The event proved an overwhelming success, and from this the idea for a bi-annual conference was born.
In 2003, ACSO launched its first Forensic Disability Conference hosted in Melbourne. This provided a more formal opportunity for national and international stakeholders, industry leaders and policy makers to discuss important issues within the criminal justice and social service sectors.
Renamed the International Criminal Justice Conference in 2009, ACSO most recently hosted the 10th Anniversary of this event in November 2022 in partnership with Foreniscare, the Centre for Forensic Behavioural Science Swinburne University of Technology, The Torch and McCormack Housing.
10th International Criminal Justice Conference 2022
With an overarching theme “Global Uncertainty. Building Safer and Resilient Communities”, conference streams focused on examples of disrupted justice from Australia and around the world, innovation in the prevention of incarceration, justice system experiences and addressing risk, resilience and recovery. Two significant highlights of the event included a presentation by Mark Patterson, Administrator of the Hawaii Youth Correctional Facility and Chair, Hawaii Correctional System Oversight Commission, who also helped achieve a zero incarceration rate for teenage girls in his home country; and John Parvensky, President and CEO of Colorado Coalition for the Homeless who spoke of finding housing and support solutions for at risk people in the USA, including creation of the Denver Social Impact Bond (SIB).
Moving forward, the bi-annual conference will continue to act as an integral part of ACSO’s mandate to influence change across the entire justice continuum and help to create innovative solutions for a more just and effective criminal justice system.
