School of Psychology

Lesley Hardcastle

Position Casual Research
Email lesley.hardcastle@deakin.edu.au
Area School of Psychology
Phone
Campus Burwood


Role and profile
Dr Lesley Hardcastle is a Research Fellow in the Centre for Mental Health and Well-being. She supports the centre’s research activities, including grant applications and submission of papers for academic journals. She also has expertise in curriculum development, editing, research design and management, and program evaluation. She is an active researcher into the employment of marginalised groups and the reintegration of ex-offenders.


Teaching responsibilities
Supervision of Graduate Diploma group


Research interests
Dr Hardcastle’s research interests include the social exclusion of marginalised groups, particularly ex-offenders, people with a disability and people with a mental illness. She is also interested in social constructions of disability and ecological systems approaches to understanding social exclusion. Dr Hardcastle is currently investigating an ecological model of prisoner reintegration, which will help to explain the interaction of psychosocial factors in the recidivism and reintegration of ex-prisoners.

Previous research has included the participation of people with disabilities in employment, the impact of information technologies on disadvantaged students, and evaluation of transition programs for young people with a disability who are moving to post school employment and education.



Memberships
• Australasian Corrections Education Association
• Society of Editors Victoria (Inc.)



Conferences
1. Hardcastle, L. & Graffam, J. (2005). Perceptions of the employability of ex-offenders and ex-prisoners. Paper presented at Inside Learning for Outside Living: Addressing Recidivism Through Education. Australian Corrections Education Association (ACEA), 9-11 October, Darwin.

2. Graffam, J., & Hardcastle L. (2003). The employability of ex-offenders and ex-prisoners: employer, correctional/corrective services worker, employment support worker, and offender and prisoner perspectives. Paper presented at Unlocking doors — rebuilding lives through education. International Forum on Education in Corrections Settings (IFESCA), 9-11 November, Surfers Paradise.

Deakin University acknowledges the traditional land owners of present campus sites.

9th November 2012