This roundtable will discuss the reality of creating a trauma informed justice system. Over the past five years, there has been an increased interest in trauma and trauma informed practice across frontline services. While this is long established in the likes of health and education, it is comparatively new to criminal justice, despite what is known about the prevalence of trauma in the lives of those impacted by the criminal legal system. Indeed, there is growing consensus that responses to offending need to be trauma informed across justice organisations to enhance engagement and maximise the effectiveness of interventions (eg: Farmer 2019). However, much of the pressure to work in a trauma informed way is within contexts associated with punishment, uncertainty, and a fundamental lack of choice.

Join us for a roundtable discussion exploring whether or not the trauma-saturated justice agencies such as police, probation, and prisons can ever become environments that centre 'safety, trust, choice, collaboration and empowerment.'