Mr Workman (Ngati Kahungungu ki Wairarapa, Rangitaane) is well known for his work on criminal justice, corrections policy and Māori development. He has been an outspoken advocate for justice reform and worked in a number of Ministries. He was involved in establishing Justspeak, a young people’s forum for Justice reform and the Justice Coalition, which brings together 12 justice sector NGOs.
Professor Lydia Wevers, Director of Victoria’s Stout Research Centre for New Zealand Studies, which will be hosting Mr Workman, says she is excited about the appointment. “We are delighted to be hosting Kim and supporting him in the writing of his book. One of his referees said that Kim combines a lifetime of grassroots engagement with the helicopter view of the reforming thinker, and I’m sure this combination of qualities will make for a well-balanced and thought-provoking book.”
During his Fellowship Mr Workman will be working on a book on the development of the criminal justice system in New Zealand, Criminal Justice, the State and Māori, which will document the history of Māori in the criminal justice system and examine the relationship between punitiveness and neoliberalism.
Mr Workman will take up the Fellowship on 1 February 2015.