The Justice Reform Initiative is a multi-partisan alliance of criminal justice experts committed to reducing incarceration. To achieve this goal, the JRI asked Shape two big questions: how do we challenge the dominant public narrative on crime and the criminal justice system? And how can we reframe the debate from a narrative focused on incarceration to more effective alternatives to prison? 

We developed the Jailing is Failing branding and communications strategy and have continued to work with the JRI on executing its public-facing and policy approach, handling media relations and its digital media presence. ​

To guide our work in reshaping the narrative, Shape engaged The Insight Centre (Shape’s sister agency) to gauge community sentiment through the largest ever Australian research study on attitudes towards the criminal justice system. This work showed that a majority of Australians are concerned about the cost of our prisons, and the fact that they are ineffective in reducing reoffending rates.​

We have continued to develop the evidence base for change via research examining the failures in the current criminal justice system.   ​

The Justice Reform Initiative has become a “go-to” trusted source in the public conversation on how to reform the criminal justice system. In the three years since we launched it in 2020, it has been referenced more than 4700 times in the Australian and international media, with a global reach of 1.7 billion.  ​

It is actively reframing the public debate, with Shape providing tactical support to secure commitments from governments on alternatives to prison, diversion programs, raising the age of criminal responsibility and repealing mandatory sentencing laws. Our tagline of ‘Jailing is Failing’ has been directly quoted in more than 1300 online and broadcast media stories.    ​

Shape continues to support the JRI to craft effective messages on complex criminal justice issues in a volatile political and media environment. ​

The Justice Reform Initiative is a multi-partisan alliance of criminal justice experts committed to reducing incarceration. To achieve this goal, the JRI asked Shape two big questions: how do we challenge the dominant public narrative on crime and the criminal justice system? And how can we reframe the debate from a narrative focused on incarceration to more effective alternatives to prison? 

We developed the Jailing is Failing branding and communications strategy and have continued to work with the JRI on executing its public-facing and policy approach, handling media relations and its digital media presence. ​

To guide our work in reshaping the narrative, Shape engaged The Insight Centre (Shape’s sister agency) to gauge community sentiment through the largest ever Australian research study on attitudes towards the criminal justice system. This work showed that a majority of Australians are concerned about the cost of our prisons, and the fact that they are ineffective in reducing reoffending rates.​

We have continued to develop the evidence base for change via research examining the failures in the current criminal justice system.   ​

The Justice Reform Initiative has become a “go-to” trusted source in the public conversation on how to reform the criminal justice system. In the three years since we launched it in 2020, it has been referenced more than 4700 times in the Australian and international media, with a global reach of 1.7 billion.  ​

It is actively reframing the public debate, with Shape providing tactical support to secure commitments from governments on alternatives to prison, diversion programs, raising the age of criminal responsibility and repealing mandatory sentencing laws. Our tagline of ‘Jailing is Failing’ has been directly quoted in more than 1300 online and broadcast media stories.    ​

Shape continues to support the JRI to craft effective messages on complex criminal justice issues in a volatile political and media environment. ​