A letter from Australia: from crime prevention to community safety: the shifting discourses of ordering

The past decade has been a period of significant policy and programme development in Australian criminal justice. Similar to other English-speaking and Western European countries, crime prevention and community policing have emerged as major policy shifts in the
organisation of criminal justice practices. This article seeks first to provide an introductory overview of criminal justice in Australia. Following this, attention shifts to a discussion of the re-emergence of crime prevention. Third, I will examine in greater detail a case study drawn from the State of Victoria, where there have been recent efforts to shift the policy framework from crime prevention to community safety. I conclude with some brief comments on current and future problems with policy and programme development.