Associate Professor Caitlin Hughes

Caitlin Hughes is an Associate Professor in criminology and drug policy and Matthew Flinders Fellow at Flinders Criminology and the Centre for Social Impact, Flinders University. As one of the few criminologists and drug policy scholars internationally, and current President of the International Society for the Study of Drug Policy (the only academic society committed to advancing drug policy research and rigorous research methodologies across the globe), Caitlin brings 18 years experience working at the interface of criminal justice, health and social systems to drive evidence-based system change.

Caitlin has spent 12.5 years at the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, UNSW, working as part of the Drug Policy Modelling Program - one of the leading drug policy research centres in the world. Having joined Flinders University in July 2019 her research seeks to advance Australian and international drug policy and broader justice, health and social policies by improving the evidence-base into the effects of different legislative and law enforcement approaches to drug use and supply and working directly with policy makers. Her research focuses on 1) drug laws and drug law reform (including depenalisation, decriminalisation, legalisation), 2) criminal justice policies (including policing and alternatives to arrest) and 3) drug markets, outlining what laws and policies are deployed, how they operate in practice, the impacts of this investment and identifying avenues for more effective responses that can reduce health, social and criminal justice harms.

Caitlin engages extensively with policy makers, law enforcement and health officials from across and outside of Australia. Her work has contributed to many policy and practice reforms in Australia, Canada, England, Ireland, Portugal and USA, including the expansion of drug diversion programs for use/ possess offenders;  the reform of drug trafficking thresholds law “to ensure laws target traffickers not users”; the development of new World Health Organisation and United Nations Guidelines on Principles for Treatment and Care for People with Drug Use Disorders in Contact with the Criminal Justice System; and the development of prisoner reintegration aids to connect social service providers with correctional staff to aid prisoner re-entry. 

Caitlin is also Visiting Fellow at the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, UNSW and President of the International Society for the Study of Drug Policy and is on the editorial board for the International Journal of Drug Policy and the Journal of Illicit Economies and Development.