About the Practitioner
William Wood’s research includes restorative justice, youth justice and offending, punishment and corrections, and crime and media. William’s research on restorative justice (RJ) has focused broadly on three themes: 1) how participants use RJ, 2) the effects of institutionalizing RJ, and 3) existing gaps and problems in RJ claims-making.
William is interested in innovative justice pratices that address the needs and accountability of offenders, allow victims to directly participate in and have redress for harms caused to them, and create safer and more just communities.
William is the author of numerous journal articles, chapters, and other works on RJ, and his research has appeared in several leading journals including Justice Quarterly, The British Journal of Criminology, Social & Legal Studies, Criminology & Criminal Justice, Victims & Offenders, and The International Journal of Restorative Justice. In 2019 William delivered the Annual International Journal of Restorative Justice lecture in Perth Australia, entitled “The Indecent Demands of Accountability for Young People in Restorative Justice.” In this work and others, William argues that many of the normative assumptions present in RJ literature and practices have ignored the role and effects of trauma and social marginalisation in the lives of young offenders. William’s current work is thus focused on two areas: the effects of institutionalizing RJ, and the intersection of RJ and trauma. Aside from academic research, William has also conducted evaluative and consulting research for governmental and public agencies in Australia. He holds a PhD (Sociology) from Boston College, and an MDiv from Union Theological Seminary in New York City.
Organisation
Senior Lecturer, School of Criminology and Criminal Justice
Youth Justice, innovative justice, corrections
Research, program evaluation, program support development