DrSally Kennedy

Key research areas:

• Transnational justice administration with a focus on domestic and international processes, and individual protections and fairness.
• Health/care and the criminal-legal system including wellbeing and neurodiversity.
• Criminal-legal policy development and review.
• Qualitative and comparative research including legal case analysis, document analysis, interviews, and focus groups.

Detail of Funded Research Projects:

2026: Equity-First Students as Partners Microgrant, $11,000

Co-designing and delivering inclusive, Equity-First employability resources for the Deakin Criminology program

Project purpose: The project centres an Equity-First approach, with a focus on understanding and addressing inequities within career development learning. We have partnered with four Deakin criminology undergraduate students and are running Co-Labs with undergraduate criminology students to understand the criminology-specific employability resources they need and want, with a particular focus on why new or refined resources are needed. The project links to, and builds from, the Criminology Employability Project noted below. 

My role: I am co-leading this project with my colleague Associate Professor Clare Farmer. I am responsible for the day-to-day project leadership and management including financial responsibilities.

Impact (ongoing):

• Outputs to inform criminology employability resources for use in Deakin’s undergraduate criminology program.
• Support of Student Partners to develop and evidence capabilities.
• November 2026: Project reflections to be presented at Deakin’s Teaching and Learning Conference.

2026 - 2029: NHMRC-MRFF Alcohol and Other Drugs, $1.68m  

Investigating the Impact of Increased Alcohol Access from Policy Change on Alcohol-Related Harm in Central Australia. 

Project purpose: This cross-Faculty, multi-institution project, will provide world-first knowledge of the impact of two key policy changes which primarily affect First Nations people living in Central Australia: the removal of the Minimum Unit Price in the NT and the 2022 cessation of the Stronger Futures Act. 

My role: I am a CI on this project and will be involved in the stakeholder interview component of the project (projected to be primarily during 2027).

Impact (ongoing):

• Project commenced in April 2026.

2025: Faculty of Arts and Education Research Project Development Grant, $10,000

Criminology Employability Project

Project purpose: The project surveyed 430 undergraduate criminology students in Australia to explore their motivations, aspirations, and career expectations.

My role: Along with colleagues, I developed the survey and resulting publications.

Impact (ongoing):

• Findings to be reflected within the Deakin criminology program to improve retention and employment outcomes.
• What Now? Perceptions and Expectations of Career Preparedness among Criminology Students in Australia: Q1 Journal of Criminal Justice Education.
• Understanding the Career Aspirations of Australian Criminology Students: Q1 Journal of Criminology.
• Why do students in Australia enrol in criminology degrees?: Q1 International Journal for Crime, Justice and Social Democracy (pending publication).
• Two other papers are in development.
• December 2026: Key findings to be presented at the ANZSOC Conference (Adelaide).