Ken Wyatt was elected in 2010 as the Federal Member for Hasluck, an electorate South East of Perth, making history as the first Indigenous Member of the House of Representatives. In September 2013 he became the first Member for Hasluck re-elected for a second term. Since his election to Parliament in 2010, Ken Wyatt has worked tirelessly to be a strong advocate for his electorate and to help build a stronger local community.

In 2015, Ken Wyatt again made history as the first Indigenous member of the Federal Executive, after being sworn in as the Assistant Minister for Health. He was responsible for Aged Care service delivery and implementation, as well as for Dementia Care. Ken also had Ministerial responsibility for the Organ and Tissue Authority, which is an independent statutory agency within the Health portfolio.

Before entering politics he worked in community roles in the fields of Health and Education as a Director in New South Wales and Western Australia.

Not only has Ken Wyatt had an extensive career in health and education, he has also made an enormous contribution to the wider community in training and mentoring young people. This was recognised in 1996 when he was awarded the Order of Australia in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list. In 2000, he was awarded a Centenary of Federation Medal for ‘his efforts and contribution to improving the quality of life for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and mainstream Australian society in education and health’.

Thalia Anthony is a Professor of Law at the University of Technology Sydney on unceded Gadigal land. Her research examines the legacy of colonisation and systemic racism in legal institutions. Thalia's current projects concern the imprisonment of First Nations women, the criminalisation of homeless people and the role of Aboriginal re-storying in sentencing.  Her books include Indigenous People, Crime and Punishment and Decolonising Criminology. Thalia works closely with First Nations organisations such as Deadly Connections, Aboriginal legal services and Tangentyere Council.

Carly Stanley is the CEO and Co-Founder of Deadly Connections. Carly is a proud Wiradjuri woman, born and raised on Gadigal land. Carly founded Deadly Connections in 2018 as an Aboriginal led, community focussed, grassroots not-for-profit organisation. As an ongoing and active member of her Aboriginal community, Carly has strong cultural/community connections, knowledge, and skills to adequately respond to the needs of the Aboriginal community and to establish and grow Deadly Connections. In 2020 Carly was awarded a Churchill Fellowship and an AMP Tomorrow Makers award.

Carly has both lived and professional experience in a number of community services areas but has spent over 20 years working across the govt and non-govt sector supporting justice involved people, families and communities. Some has practical experience in roles working with young people, counselling, teaching, case management and within correctional settings. Carly has held senior level management roles. In addition to Carly’s professional expertise, she also holds a Masters of Criminology and other academic qualifications that compliment her practical acumen.

Keenan is a proud First Nations man with connections to the Biripi Nation of NSW through his mother who is from Taree and the Wakka Wakka Nation through his father who is from Cherbourg. Keenan is the youngest of three boys, born and raised on Gadigal land – Keenan grew up in Redfern, notoriously known as “The Block”. Keenan had a rough start to his childhood after losing both parents at a young age, being placed in care, separated from his siblings.

Keenan faced his own difficulties in life and made some poor decisions in his adolescence which resulted in his lengthy involvement with the justice system. Keenan found his passion in giving back to his community and working with people who have similar experiences to him.

Keenan’s journey has taken him to the United Nations in Switzerland to address the Human Rights Council and share his story so that they may lean on Australia’s government to raise the age of criminal responsibility. Keenan’s journey inspired him and his wife Carly Stanley to create an innovative, community led solution and response to the current mass incarceration and child protection crisis of First Nations people, through the creation of their organisation, Deadly Connections. With the combined practical experience of Keenan’s lived experience and his wife’s professional skills and academic qualifications, as First Nations people they are committed to changing the narrative for their mob and communities.

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Penny Abbott is a general practitioner who has undertaken clinical work, teaching and research with the goal of improving healthcare for people involved with the criminal justice system for many years. These roles include undergraduate and postgraduate teaching, and educational and health services research at Western Sydney University, a visiting medical officer in the women's prison system in NSW, and Chair of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners Custodial Health Network.

Dr Mindy Sotiri has spent more than 25 years working in criminal justice system settings as a community sector practitioner, advocate, social worker, researcher, academic and activist. She received a Churchill Fellowship in 2015 to investigate good practice in post-release community settings, and has written extensively about disrupting cycles of criminal justice system involvement and the systemic change needed to reduce the numbers of people in prison. Mindy is the Executive Director of the Justice Reform Initiative, a new national advocacy body working to end over-incarceration across Australia. Prior to her work at the Justice Reform Initiative, Mindy oversaw advocacy, policy and research at the Community Restorative Centre, a service supporting people leaving prisons and their families.

Michael is a public health physician, in the twilight of a self-declared brilliant career. He currently works in a Canberra-based drug and alcohol service. He brings to that work substantial experience in infectious diseases epidemiology, clinical medicine and the criminal justice systems. In 2014 he was awarded an "AM" inrecognition of his services to medical education. Until recently he held an appointment at the Australian National University, and was a Board member of the Sydney-based NGO, the Community Restorative Centre.

In April 2019 he walked out of prison for the last time, after 24 years service.

Teddy Cook (he/him) has over 15 years of experience in community health and non-government sectors. Joining ACON in 2012, Teddy is currently acting as Director, Community Health where he oversees client services, LGBTQ community health programs, Pride Training and Trans Health Equity. Teddy specialises in community development, health promotion and program delivery, and is architect of TransHub. He is the Vice President of the Australian Professional Association for Trans Health and is Adjunct Lecturer at the Kirby Institute, UNSW. Teddy joins ACON’s senior leadership team as a proud man of trans experience.

Keith Quayle is a Malyangapa/Barkindji gay man raised on Dharug country. He is currently on bail conditions, supervised by NSW Police until further notice. He is the founder of NSW Community Advocates for People in Prisons and is currently on the Trans and Gender Diverse Criminal Justice System Advisory Council and the Legal Aid Prisoner Interagency Advocacy sub-committee. He is a member of various grassroots collectives, SWOP and is a First Nations Advisor for Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras.

Kaz Zinnetti is a criminologist, specialist case worker, casual forensic crime scene cleaner, and an advocate for trans and gender diverse people. Her focus is those who are at risk of engagement or currently engaged with the criminal justice system. A proud transsexual woman, Kaz established a trans and gender diverse mentoring program with the Women’s Justice Network and founded, and currently chairs, the NSW Trans and Gender Diverse Criminal Justice System Advisory Council. She is also a member of Sydney University Matilda Centre Crime Research Group, where she shares her knowledge and experience of mental health issues, domestic violence and drug and alcohol addiction. Kaz is currently completing her Masters in Criminology and Criminal Justice.

Shane Rattenbury MLA is the leader of the ACT Greens and a Member for Kurrajong. He is currently Attorney-General, Minister for Water, Energy and Emissions Reduction, Minister for Gaming, and Minister for Consumer Affairs. Shane was elected in 2008, and became the first Green Speaker of the ACT Legislative Assembly, and the first in any Parliament in the world representing a Green political party. Since 2012 Shane has held a number of Ministerial portfolios, including Corrections, Justice Health, Mental Health, and Justice, and he has led a Justice Reinvestment agenda through multiple Assembly terms. Prior to entering politics, Shane worked for Greenpeace International at their headquarters in Amsterdam as the global Head of Oceans Campaigning.

Emma Davidson MLA is a Member for Murrumbidgee, elected in 2020. A member of the ACT Greens, Emma is the Minister for Disability, Minister for Justice Health, Minister for Mental Health and Assistant Minister for Seniors, Veterans, Families and Community Services. She has a wealth of experience, having worked in the community sector for many years. She has previously been the Convenor at Women’s Electoral Lobby, a Woden Valley Community Council committee member and Secretary at Pearce Community Centre. Emma has worked in social research and advocacy at the Women's Centre for Health Matters and at Equality Rights Alliance, managed online communications for the Australian Medical Association, been Director of Information Management at Navy, worked in private sector software development, owned and managed a small retail business, and spent seven years working at Centrelink.