Our Board

Bob Debus AM

The Hon. Bob Debus AM BA LLB has worked as a lawyer, publisher and broadcaster and spent eighteen years as a Government Minister. In 1981/88 and 1995/2007 he was the Member for Blue Mountains in the New South Wales Parliament, during which time he held many ministerial portfolios including Attorney General, Environment, Emergency Services and Corrective Services. Joining the Federal Government as Member for Macquarie in 2007/10, he served as federal Minister for Home Affairs. 

Bob is currently President of the Library Council of NSW and is also a board director and chair of a number of non-government organisations.

Bob has been a Board Director since 2020.

John Feneley

John Feneley served as the inaugural NSW Mental Health Commissioner from August 2012 to August 2017. He drove the Commission’s development of the landmark Living Well: A Strategic Plan for Mental Health in NSW 2014-2024, a person-centred, recovery-oriented, whole-of-government approach to mental health reform, which was adopted as state policy by the NSW Government in December 2014.

John’s professional background includes extensive experience within the mental health sector as Deputy President of the Mental Health Review Tribunal (2007 to 2012 & 2018-2026) and in policy and law reform work as Assistant Director General NSW Department of Attorney General and Justice (2001-2007). He has served on the boards of the Black Dog Institute (2024) and the Schizophrenia Fellowship of NSW and on government bodies including, the Youth Justice Advisory Committee, the Child Death Review Team and the Legal Profession Admission Board. John has also chaired research committees for the Matilda Centre and the Inside Out Institute and is a former Deputy Commissioner of the Independent Commission Against Corruption.

John has been a Board Director since 2020.

Kirstie Parker

A Yuwallarai/Yuwaalaraay woman from northwestern NSW, Kirstie has worked towards the advancement of First Nations peoples – Country, community and kin – for more than three decades. She is well known for her leadership and advocacy, especially in the fields of human rights, representation, policy development, journalism and communications, the arts, and reconciliation.

Kirstie lives in Adelaide on Kaurna yerta. She is an independent First Nations consultant, a Co-Chair of Reconciliation Australia, and a signatory to the historic Uluru Statement from the Heart that was issued to the Australian people in 2017 as an invitation to walk together with First Nations towards a better future.

Her former professional roles include Head of First Nations at the South Australian Film Corporation, elected female Co-Chair of the National Congress of Australia's First Peoples, CEO of the National Centre of Indigenous Excellence, Editor of the Koori Mail newspaper, and Director of Tandanya – National Aboriginal Cultural Institute. Kirstie also co-chaired the national Close the Gap Committee, the national Change the Record Coalition, and the National Health Leadership Forum.

Kirstie is also a previous independent journalist member of the Australian Press Council, and Board member of several First Nations media peak bodies.

She has been a Board Director of the JRI since 2026. 

Lorana Bartels

Lorana Bartels (BA LLB LLM PhD GDLP GCTE) is a Professor of Criminology at the Australian National University. She is also an Adjunct Professor of Law at the University of Canberra and University of Tasmania and Fellow of the Australian Academy of Law. 

She is a member of the editorial boards of the Alternative Law Journal, Criminal Law Journal, Current Issues in Criminal Justice, International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, and Journal of Criminology. She is also a board director of ConFit Pathways.

 Lorana has been a Board Director since 2020.

Meena Singh

Professor Meena Singh is a distinguished legal practitioner, advocate and public leader and has recently commenced as Professor of Practice in Monash University's Law Faculty.  Returning to Monash Law continues a deep family history for Meena as her mother, Aunty Diane Singh studied and later worked at Monash, including serving as Elder-In-Residence at the William Cooper Institute.

Meena was previously the Commissioner for Aboriginal Children and Young People in Victoria.  She is a Yorta Yorta and Indian woman, born and living on the land of the Kulin Nations. Meena started her legal career with Victoria Legal Aid, where she practised in human rights and criminal law, and was also their inaugural Associate Director, Aboriginal Services.  She has led legal services and programs at the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service and the Human Rights Law Centre, as well as consulting in training and organisational development across many organisations. 

She has a passion for centring the voices of people with lived experience and service design that promotes inclusion, connection and ultimately achieves social justice and equitable outcomes. 

Meena has been a Board Director since 2026.

Nicholas Cowdery AO KC

Nicholas Cowdery AO KC FAAL was a barrister for 46 years (practising chiefly in criminal law) and was Director of Public Prosecutions for NSW from 1994 to 2011. He is now an Adjunct Professor teaching at the University of Sydney and occasionally elsewhere. He was founding Co-Chair of the Human Rights Institute of the International Bar Association from 1995 to 2000, and President of the International Association of Prosecutors from 1999 to 2005. He has written and spoken on criminal justice reform for a very long time. He is the author of: “Getting Justice Wrong – Myths, Media and Crime” (Allen & Unwin, 2001); “Frank & Fearless” with Rachael Jane Chin (NewSouth, 2019); and “Discretion in Criminal Justice” (LexisNexis, 2022).

Nick has been a Board Director since 2020.

Olga Havnen AM

Olga Havnen is the Chief Executive Officer of Our Ways Strong Together. A respected leader across the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Controlled Organisation (ACCO) sector, Olga brings extensive experience in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, advocacy and community leadership. Olga previously served as CEO of Danila Dilba Health Service, where she led significant initiatives to improve health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Olga has also been a strong advocate for the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. She has spoken both nationally and internationally, including at the United Nations, calling for reforms to laws that disproportionately impact and incarcerate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people. Olga also played a key role in the successful campaign that prevented a proposed Woolworths Group alcohol superstore from being built near a dry Aboriginal community in Darwin, a five-year effort that highlighted the power of community-led advocacy. Olga has been a Board Director since 2020.

Robert Tickner AO (Chair)

Robert served as Federal Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs from 1990-1996 and is Australia’s longest serving Minister of Indigenous Affairs. During his time in that portfolio Robert played a leading role in the passage of the Native Title Act, the initiation of the stolen generations inquiry, the creation of the national land fund and the national response to the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody. In the Hawke Government he was responsible for the initiation of the reconciliation process and the unanimous passage of the reconciliation legislation through the Australian parliament.

Prior to his election to the national parliament Robert worked as a solicitor with the Aboriginal Legal Service in Redfern. After political life Robert was CEO of Australian Red Cross for ten years and twice served as the Under Secretary General of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Federation in Geneva. He also wrote a book about past adoption policies in Australia and the reunion with his birth family which is titled “Ten Doors Down”. 

 Robert is the Founder of the Justice Reform Initiative and has been Chair of the Board since 2020.

Tahlia Isaac

Tahlia is the Founder and CEO of Project: herself, a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to supporting women impacted by the criminal justice system to build thriving, self-determined lives. Through her leadership, advocacy and community partnerships, she challenges entrenched narratives about crime, punishment and recovery while promoting human-centred solutions that reduce recidivism and strengthen communities.

Tahlia’s lived experience and professional expertise make her one of Australia’s most authentic and compelling voices on criminal justice reform, addiction recovery and post-release reintegration. She holds a Graduate Certificate in Criminology and Criminal Justice and a Bachelor of Business (Human Resources) from Griffith University.

After surviving more than a decade of addiction, three years cycling in and out of custody, and significant experiences of violence, Tahlia rebuilt her life through education, community, and purpose. Her work now centres on the intersections of gender, poverty, trauma, and criminalisation, particularly how “tough on crime” policies harm not only those imprisoned, but the safety and wellbeing of the entire community.

Tahlia is a speaker, writer, and advocate who has delivered keynotes, panel discussions, and media commentary on justice reform, gendered violence, and the social contract. She is known for her ability to weave storytelling with evidence.

Tahlia has been a Board Director since 2026.

Thomas Mayo

Thomas Mayo is a leading voice in human rights advocacy and an award-winning author.

A Kaurareg Aboriginal and Kalkalgal, Erubamle Torres Strait Islander, he came to public prominence when he co-led the high-profile campaign for Australia’s Voice referendum, speaking with thousands of Australians about the Uluru Statement from the Heart.

Thomas is recognised as one of Australia’s leaders in Indigenous rights and works with schools, community groups, corporates and government to achieve justice, recognition and equity for First Nations peoples. An accomplished orator and storyteller, Thomas has written books including the ‘Voice to Parliament Handbook’ which was voted the 2024 Book of the Year at the Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIAs) as well as Social Impact Book of the Year and Non-Fiction Book of the Year.  He is on several boards including the Indigenous Literacy Foundation.  Starting his career as a wharfie, Thomas has held several leadership positions at the Maritime Union of Australia and is currently Assistant National Secretary. 

Thomas has been a Board Director since 2026.