Out with the old, in with the new? Contemporary scholars review articles from the early days of the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Criminology (50th Anniversary Special Panel)

R. G. Smith (Panel Chair)1, Freiberg2, Dowsley3, Weatherburn4, Quadara5

1 Australian Institute of Criminology *corresponding author: Russell.Smith@aic.gov.au
2 Faculty of Law, Monash University
3 Crime Statistics Agency, Department of Justice & Regulation, Victoria

4 NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research
5 Australian Institute of Family Studies

This Panel includes the presentation of four reviews and commentaries on a selection of articles originally published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Criminology. The founding editor of the Journal, Dr Allen A Bartholomew, had many hopes and expectations for the Journal envisaging ‘… a systematic study of all the measures to be taken in the spheres of prevention…of legislation, of the enforcement of criminal law, of punishments and other methods of treatment’. For the 50th Anniversary of the establishment of ANZSOC, four contemporary scholars have been asked to review one article per person published in the first five years of the journal that falls within their academic research interests. They will consider: how the article reads today compared with when it was published; how has research and knowledge in this particular area of criminology in Australia and New Zealand advanced since the article was first published; are the issues and problems originally identified still relevant today, and has criminology abandoned these topics and epistemologies, and if so, why? The Panel will assess whether Dr Bartholomew’s hopes and expectations have materialised and in what ways the study of crime and its prevention has evolved over the years.

Please read the following journal articles prior to attending this panel:

Sentencing: An Unrewarding and Painful Task

(Panel Paper 1)

Emeritus Professor Arie Freiberg AM will review and comment on the following paper: Chappell, D. (1968) Sentencing − an unrewarding and painful task, Australian and New Zealand Journal of Criminology 1(3), 167-182.

The Dilemma of Crime Statistics in Australia: Atrophy or Growth?

(Panel Paper 2)

Fiona Dowsley, Chief Statistician, Crime Statistics Agency, Department of Justice & Regulation, Victoria will review and comment on the following paper: Wyman, K. (1970) The dilemma of crime statistics in Australia − atrophy or growth?, Australian and New Zealand Journal of Criminology 3(1), 45-49.

Methods of Evaluating Correctional Programs: A review of the Literature

(Panel Paper 3)

Dr Don Weatherburn, Director, New South Wales Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research will review and comment on the following paper: Bell, Jennifer A (1974) Methods of evaluating correctional programs: A review of the literature, Australian and New Zealand Journal of Criminology 7(1), 55-63.

The Offence of Rape in Victoria

(Panel Paper 4)

Dr Antonia Quadara, Research Fellow, Australian Institute of Family Studies, will review and comment on the following paper: Hodgens, E. J., McFadyen, I. H., Failla, R. J., & Daly, F. M. (1972) The offence of rape in Victoria, Australian and New Zealand Journal of Criminology 5(4), 225-240

 

Biography

Dr Russell G Smith has worked at the Australian Institute of Criminology  for over 20 years, carrying out research into fraud, cybercrime and professional regulation. With qualifications in law, psychology and criminology from the University of Melbourne and a PhD from King’s College London, he practised as a solicitor in the 1980s and then taught criminology at the University of Melbourne in the 1990s. He has been a member of ANZSOC for over 35 years and was its President between 2009 and 2012.