Dr David Indermaur is Research Associate Professor at the Crime Research Centre at the University of Western Australia (UWA). His work in the field of crime and justice began as a psychologist working with prisoners in Western Australia in 1976 which led to explorations of public attitudes to punishment and sentencing in the 1980s. In that late 1980s and through the early 1990s he was engaged in a number of other criminological investigations, in particular to do with drugs, crime and violence. As a psychologist much of this focus centered on offenders and their decision making. His PhD at the Law School of the University of Western Australia combined an investigation into the decision making of violent offenders with an analysis of trends in violent crime in Australia.
In that latter part of the 1990s the focus of his work was on crime prevention and domestic violence but also some exotic forms of violence such as “road rage”. He teaches criminology and has also been involved at various levels of government and professional organisations. He has published widely on the areas he has studied and remains committed to the aims of both a more compassionate and meaningful response to crime and the problems it represents. Current research projects include perceptions of sentencing and confidence in the courts, the treatment of sex offenders and crime prevention initiatives.