Professor Lorana Bartels

“I have had a bit of a non-traditional career path. I worked in State and Commonwealth government for over a decade, in research and policy roles, as a criminal lawyer and criminologist. During this time, I completed a Masters and PhD and worked part-time, while my children were young. I then became a full-time academic at the University of Canberra in 2011, including a stint as Head of the School of Law and Justice there, and moved across to the ANU five years ago.

I am currently working on a number of projects, including a book and several grants and consultancy projects. My main areas are courts and the correctional system; domestic and sexual violence; disability and the criminal justice system; and the treatment of women and Indigenous and young people in the criminal justice system.”

“I have been working on criminal justice issues for nearly 25 years and am still passionate about the issues. One of the really important developments in criminology in recent years has been the increased involvement of people with lived experience of the justice system, as fellow researchers. By writing papers with people who have been incarcerated, I have learnt so much about the day-to-day reality that amplifies my theoretical understanding.

At times, this can bring complex questions about power, epistemology, ethics, etc. to the fore. But there is increasingly a realisation that this will lead to improved policy-making and practice, informed by the people who are most affected by these decisions and have a critical role in developing effective responses.”

“I love my job and feel very lucky to be able to combine research, teaching and engagement. Many of my research projects have led to practical reforms – for example, changes to the ACT Family Violence Act. On any given day, I might work on an article, teach a class, talk to someone who has been personally affected by the justice system, attend court, meet with a member of parliament and/or do a media interview. I also really appreciate the flexibility of academia.

I have a lot of caring responsibilities at home, so I really value being able to manage my time around this. My work can also be very emotionally draining. I work with both perpetrators and victims of violence. I have become better over time at understanding vicarious trauma and dealing with this. So, I would say my greatest achievement is managing to find a career that I find so rewarding and stimulating, where I can hopefully play a small role in making the justice system fairer and more effective, while also juggling my personal needs and interests.”

“I have been lucky to be mentored and inspired by many wonderful people, including my PhD supervisor, Emeritus Professor Kate Warner AC, who later became Governor of Tasmania, and my former boss at the Australian Institute of Criminology, who then became the Dean of CASS, Emeritus Professor Toni Makkai AM. I am also very much inspired by her Honour Justice Louise Taylor, an ANU alumna and Australia’s first Indigenous woman appointed to a Supreme Court, here in the ACT.

More generally, in my personal and professional life, I am inspired by so many people who manage to cope, in the face of extraordinary adversity. I have met countless people who have experienced extraordinary trauma, as victims of family violence and other crimes, homelessness, poverty, racism, sickness and more. Despite this, they show great courage and dignity. My work has exposed me to both the worst of humanity, but also the very best. This inspires me on a daily basis.”