Oorala Research Seminar Series 2021
PhD Research candidate, Caitlin Davey, talks about her personal journey, the experiences that led her to undertaking a PhD at UNE.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have been over-represented in Australian prisons and all facets of the Criminal Justice System for many years. As of June 2020, Indigenous Australians made up 29 percent of the population in Australian correctional centres, while only representing 3 percent of the Australian population. What are the reasons for this disparity? What other factors play a role? Do the attitudes Australians hold about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people play a role in how our justice system deals with the collective Indigenous population?
This seminar explores Caitlin Davey’s long interest in police-work and the justice system, her employment in several correctional centres in Australia and experiences during this time, and what she is hoping to investigate as she commences her PhD thesis looking at the disparity Indigenous Australians face in the Australian Criminal Justice System.
Why the Difference? by Caitlin Davey
Caitlin Davey is a proud woman from the Biripi nation, from Wauchope, New South Wales. Caitlin finished high school there in 2015 and went on to study a Bachelor of Psychological Science with La Trobe University, a Bachelor of Criminology with UNE, and her Post Graduate Diploma in Advanced Psychology with Deakin University. Caitlin is currently studying a Doctor of Philosophy with UNE, which she is doing in the field of Criminology and incorporating areas of Social Psychology and Indigenous Studies.
During her studies, Caitlin has been employed in case management positions in correctional centres and found that due to her own Indigenous heritage she was able to connect with Indigenous offenders. Her experiences in this sector have led her to believe that in general, Indigenous offenders are treated differently to non-Indigenous offenders, and this has been the impetus for pursuing further education to discover factors which may contribute to this reality.
