Dr Judith Cockram

Disability Studies

Judith is recognised in Australia and internationally as a leading scholar working in the area of people with intellectual disability and their interaction with the criminal justice system. She has been chief investigator on a range of applied research projects for over fifteen years. Her work includes projects with the police, community correction officers, judges and magistrates, prison officers and families who have a family member caught up in the criminal justice system.  Her project, involving a 10-year longitudinal study of people with an intellectual disability and the criminal justice system, represents the first of its kind nationally and internationally.  Judith’s other main research interest is in the area of Women with Disabilities and Family and Domestic Violence.

Articles published in refereed journals:

Cockram, J. (2008). Silent Voices: Women with Disabilities and family and domestic violence. Australian Journal of Social Issues, (in press)

Cockram, J. (2008). Equal Justice: The Experiences and Needs of Repeat offenders with intellectual disabilities in Western Australia. Perth Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disability, (In press).

Cockram, J., Hancock, P, & Jarvis, J. (2007). Supporting Older Carers of People with a Disability: An evaluation of a respite care program in Western Australia. Australia Pacific Journal of Health Management, 2:2, 58-67

Cockram, J. (2006). Justice or differential treatment: Sentencing of offenders with an intellectual disability. Journal of Intellectual and Developmental Disability, 30(1), 3-13.

Cockram, J. (2005). People with intellectual disabilities in the prisons. Psychiatry, Psychology & Law, 12(1), 163-173.

Cockram, J. (2005). Careers of offenders with an intellectual disability: The probabilities of rearrest. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 40(7), 525-536.

Cockram, J. (2003). The impact of compulsory participation on the not for profit sector in Western Australia. Australian Journal on Volunteering, 8(1), 5-14.

Cockram, J & McAfee, J.  (2001). Police responses to sexual crimes and people with an intellectual disability. Education and Training in Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities, 6(2), 160-171.

Cockram, J. (2000). People with an intellectual disability and the arrest process. Law in Context, 17(1) 101-119.

Cockram, J. (1999). People with an intellectual disability and criminal justice system: The family perspective. Journal of Intellectual and Developmental Disability, 23(1), 41-56.

Cockram, J. (1997). Prison Officers Perceptions of Offenders with an Intellectual Disability, National Socio-Legal Bulletin, No. 15, Summer. 45-56.

Cocks, E. & Cockram, J. (1995). A New Research Paradigm and Intellectual
Disability. Mental Handicap Research, 8(1), 25-37

Cockram, J. (1995). Intellectual Disability and the Law: Noticing the negative and ignoring the obvious. Psychiatry, Psychology and Law, 1(2), 126-137.

Cockram, J. (1993).  Perceptions of the judiciary and intellectual disability. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Developmental Disabilities, 18(3), 189-200.

Chapters published in a book

Cocks, E. & Cockram, J. (1997). Empowerment and the Limitations of Formal Human Services and Legislation. In P. Ramcharan, G. Roberts, G. Grant and J. Borland, (Eds) Empowerment in everyday life: Learning disability.  London: Jessica Kingsley.

Cockram, J. (1996). The Response of the Law to Intellectual Disability in Western Australia 1829-1993. In Cocks, E., Brogan, M., Fox C and Lee M., Under Blue Skies?: The social construction of intellectual disability in Western Australia.  Perth: Centre for Disability Research & Development.

Recent Reports

Cockram, J., Grote, E. & Mitchell, M. (2008). Dealing with disordered Behaviour: The Experiences of Police and Community Correction Officers. Report prepared for Department of Corrective Services Western Australia and Western Australian Police, Perth: Centre for Social Research.

Cockram, J. (2006). Barriers to the Criminal Justice System for people with intellectual disability. Report prepared for Activ Foundation, Disability Services Commission, People with Disabilities (WA), & the Department of Corrective Services. Perth: People with Disabilities (WA).

Cockram, J. (2006). Breaking the Silence: A report prepared for The Department of Human Services, Victoria.

Cockram, J. (2006). Speaking Out: A Resource Manual prepared for the Department of Community Development, Western Australia.

Cockram, J. (2005) Silent Voices: Women  with Disabilities and Family and Domestic Violence. Report prepared for People with Disabilities (WA), & Ethnic Disability Advocacy Service, Western Australia.

Cockram J. (2005). ). The impact of compulsory participation on the not for profit sector in Western Australia. Report prepared for Volunteering Western Australia, and Welfare Rights Service.

Cockram, J. (2006). Silent voices: Women with disabilities and domestic violence. Paper presented to the Western Australian Domestic Violence Forum, September: Perth.

Cockram, J. (2006). Women with disabilities and family and domestic violence.  Invited Keynote speaker at the Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault International Conference, 2003, 30 July-1st August, Broadbeach, Queensland.

Cockram, J. (2004). Compulsory community participation and the not for profit sector in Western Australia. Paper presented at the Australian  Social Policy Conference 2003, 9-11 July, Sydney

Cockram, J. (2002).   Sex offences and people with an intellectual disability. Invited keynote address to the 2nd International Conference Justice for Everyone: Intellectual disability and the law.  The University of Wollongong, November, 2002/

Cockram, J. (1996). How does the criminal justice system respond to offenders with an intellectual disability? Invited Seminar to conference participants, “Real people, real lives”, 1996 National Conference, Massey University, Palmerston North, N.Z.

Cockram, J.  (1996). The law’s approach to intellectual disability in Western Australia.  Invited Keynote speaker at the joint National Conference of the Australian Society for the Study of Intellectual Disability and the National Council on Intellectual Disability, Hobart, September.

Cockram, J. (1996).  Handle with care, Dealing with offenders with an intellectual disability.  Invited Keynote Speaker  at the Justice for Everyone Conference: Intellectual disability and the law. University of Wollongong, November.

Cockram, J. (1994). Attitudes towards people with an intellectual disability - Is their justice?  Proceedings of the First International Congress on Mental Retardation, The Mentally Retarded in the 2000s Society, Rome.

Cockram, J.  (1993). Over represented and misunderstood: People with an intellectual disability in the criminal justice system.  Proceedings of the Australian Institute of Criminology, International Symposium on Offender Management: Policy and Practice in Correctional and Forensic Services, Parmelia Hilton, Perth.

Cockram, J. (1991) People with an intellectual disability in the Criminal Justice System: The police perspective.  Proceedings of the National Evaluation Conference. Vol. 1. 128 - 134. Australasian Evaluation Society. Adelaide. October.

Monographs:
Cockram, J.  (1992).  Moral Issues in Human Services. An annotated bibliography.  Perth.  Edith Cowan University.  Centre for the Development of Human Resources.

Cockram, J. (1992) Participatory approaches in human services: An annotated bibliography. Perth. Edith Cowan University. Centre for the Development of Human Resources.

Cockram, J.  (1991). Annotated bibliography of protective legislation and services for people with disabilities, elderly people and people with mental illness.  Perth.

Unpublished conference presentations

Cockram, J. (2002). Overcoming recidivism of offenders with an intellectual disability.  Invited keynote address at People with Disabilities Law Week Seminar, April, West Perth.

Cockram, J.  (2002).  Justice or Differential Treatment: Adult offenders with an intellectual disability in the criminal justice system.  Invited paper presented to the 8th National Joint Conference of the National Council on Intellectual Disability and the Australian Society for the Study of Intellectual Disability October 22-25, 2000 Fremantle Western Australia

Cockram, J.  (2001).  Persons with an Intellectual disability in the criminal justice system: Issues in the Courts.  Paper presented to the 35th Annual conference of the Australian Society for the Study of intellectual disability: September, Sydney.

Cockram, J. (2000). The injustice of justice? Intellectual disability and the criminal justice system in Western Australia.  Paper presented to the 34th Annual Conference of the Australian Society for the Study of Intellectual Disability: Quality services and economic rationalism - conflict or harmony? University of Adelaide, September.

Cockram, J. (1999). Adult Offenders with an intellectual disability: The Western Australian experience.  Paper presented at the 33rd Annual Conference “An Agenda for Change”, Australian Society for the Study of Intellectual Disability, Brisbane, September. 

Cockram, J. (1998). The disadvantage of Offenders with an intellectual disability in Western Australia. Paper presented to Australian Society for the Study of Intellectual Disability, State Conference, Perth, November.    

Cockram, J. (1997). Adult Offenders with an intellectual disability and the criminal justice system.   Invited Keynote address to  “Real people, real lives”, 1996 National Conference, Massey University, Palmerston North, N.Z.

Cockram, J. (1997). The Over-representation of People with an intellectual disability in the criminal justice system.  Invited pre-conference workshop, “Real people, real lives”, 1996 National Conference, Massey University, Palmerston North, N.Z.

Cockram, J. (1995).Evaluation of the Transition Support Program for students with disabilities.  Invited paper presented at the Cross Sector Conference: Different Roles: Shared Goals. The Western Australian Cricket Association Grounds, Perth. August.

Cockram, J. (1994). People with an intellectual disability and the criminal justice system: The family perspective. Paper presented at the "Partnerships for the Future", 6th joint National Conference of the National Council on Intellectual Disability and the Australian Society for the Study of Intellectual Disability, October, 1994, Perth.

Cockram, J. (1994). Community Sentences and people with an intellectual disability. Paper  presented at the 10th Annual Conference of the Australian and New Zealand Society of Criminology, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, September 27-30.

Cockram, J. (1994). Over-represented and misunderstood.  Paper presented at  Mentally  Retarded in the 2000s Society, International Conference, Rome, Italy, March 23-26.

Cockram, J. (1993).  Community Corrections and Intellectual Disability.  Paper presented to the Conference '93 "Taking Stock." University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.

Cockram, J.  (1993). Views From Behind Prison Walls: Prison Officers and Intellectual Disability.  Paper presented to 1993  Australian Society of Intellectual Disability National Conference, University of Newcastle, N.S.W.

Cockram, J. (1993).  Views from In and out of Prison: The perceptions of Prison and Community Correction Officers and Intellectual Disability. Paper presented to  The Australian Sociological Association 1993 Conference - Social Theory in Practice. University of Macquarie, N.S.W.

Cockram, J. (1992).  The Imprisonment of people with an Intellectual Disability: Understanding Causes and Working Towards System Change. Paper presented to the Third National Social Research Conference, University of Western Sydney. Hawkesbury. 

Cockram, J.  (1992).  The Participatory Research Paradigm and Intellectual Disability.  Paper presented at the 9th World Congress, International Association for the Scientific Study of Mental Deficiency, Gold Coast, Queensland.

Cockram, J. (1992). People with and Intellectual Disability and in the Criminal Justice System: The Perspective from the Judiciary,paper presented at the 9th World Congress, International Association for the Scientific Study of Mental Deficiency, Gold Coast Queensland.

Cockram, J. (1991). Police and the Intellectually Disabled. Paper presented at the Seventh Annual Conference of the Australian and New Zealand Society of Criminology. Melbourne. October.

Cockram, J. (1991). People with an intellectual disability in the criminal justice system: The service worker perspective.  Paper presented at the Annual Conference of the Australian Association for the Study of Intellectual Disability and the National Council on Intellectual Disability. Deakin University. Victoria. September.