“One of the highlights of studying the Master of Criminology, Justice and Regulation (MCJR) was being involved in the World Coalition Against The Death Penalty internship”, said graduand Charlotte Chung just before attending the 2019 December graduation c

“One of the highlights of studying the Master of Criminology, Justice and Regulation (MCJR) was being involved in the World Coalition Against The Death Penalty internship”, said graduand Charlotte Chung just before attending the 2019 December graduation ceremony.

“As part of this internship, I produced a preliminary report on the potential risks and implications of reintroducing the capital punishment in the Philippines. This entailed interviewing various civil society organisations in the region and anti-capital punishment lawyers” she elaborated.

“The best thing about my internship, was that it changed my perspective on capital punishment. I used to think criminals should pay for their crimes with their lives because I was detached from the reality of capital punishment.”

Reflecting back on her time as student, Charlotte said that other highlights from her experience at ANU included the knowledge she gained from her degree and the people she met along the way.

“From my studies, I have learnt a lot about what drives people to commit crime and the current problems in the penal system. I became less judgemental towards people, especially offenders” she explained.

“I really enjoyed studying in such a warm and welcoming environment as RegNet and being taught by academics like Associate Professors Mai Sato, Miranda Forsyth, and Peter Grabosky who are so down to earth. It made my learning experience so much more interesting and fruitful.”

“I also developed a passion for helping offenders become functional and law-abiding citizens. This passion was encouraged further by two very well-regarded criminology academics: Professor Roderic Broadhurst and Dr Adam Masters (CASS).”

Throughout her studies, Charlotte worked as a research assistant at the ANU Cybercrime Observatory. There she gained insights on the latest cybercrime trends and co-authored a report on malicious software.

Having completed her postgraduate studies, Charlotte aims to apply the theoretical experience gained from her degree to improve the prison rehabilitation system and help offenders in their rehabilitation.

“The number of prisoners in Australia has increased by 40% between 2012-2018, and a lot of them are recidivists. This is partly because the current rehabilitation efforts in the system are flawed and require updating.”

“I would like to find a job in a correctional centre. I want to use my knowledge and passion to help offenders lead law-abiding lives once they are released”.