‘This Sort of Thing Isn't Helpful’: The Dilemmas of the Australian Institute of Criminology* 1

The Australian Institute of Criminology (AIC) has had a rocky journey since its founding in 1971 and, at the moment, is undergoing a drastic cut in its funding. The article examines the structural stresses that reside in the location of a putatively autonomous agency within a political framework. Tensions arise when AIC findings and interpretations cause distress to federal or state officials. Difficulties also inhere in the question of who establishes the AlC's research agenda, and how that agenda is carried out. The article provides details of the AlC's origins and some of its history, and it reviews two recent reports which have come down heavily on the work of the Institute. It also considers the relationship between the AIC and the media and, in conclusion, suggests what its future might be.