Module description
This module covers only the Semester 1 part of a full year module
Introduction
Criminal justice is one of the most highly politicised areas of Law. Crime is rarely far from the headlines. Daily reports of burglary, robbery, murder and ‘drug related crime’ fuel public anxiety and stimulate debate. Criminology and criminal justice raises fundamental issues about the rights and freedoms of citizens and protection of the public – how far should (or can) we expect the state to protect us from violent and predatory crime? The module raises questions about state powers to coerce, to intrude into people’s private lives and to inflict the pains of punishment. In recent years, there has been a radical shift from “just deserts” to “public protection” and prevention of re-offending. Criminal justice policies determined to be “tough on crime and tough on the causes of crime” have led to an astonishing increase in the use of imprisonment. The female prison population, for example, has more than tripled in two decades. Criminology & Criminal Justice covers all the major issues including patterns of crime and criminological theories of the causes of, and responses to, criminal behaviour. We examine policing, prosecution, sentencing and the purpose and effects of imprisonment. We consider special categories of offender – including children and young people, women, and those considered ‘dangerous’. Throughout the module, we examine how political ideology informs and shapes criminal justice policy. At all stages, we consider race, class and gender and whether the system provides equal rights and protection to defendants, victims and wider society.
Assessment details
Coursework 100%
Teaching pattern
Lecture (2 x 1 hour per week), Tutorials (1 x 1 hour per week)
Indicative schedule ( 2022/23, so subject to change)
Week 1
Justification for Punishment
Cultural context of state punishment
Introductory tutorial
Week2
Measurement of Crime I
Measurement of Crime II
Punishment and Justice
Week 3
Theories of Crime I (individual)
Theories of Crime II (structural)
Measurement: homicide statistics
Week 4
Theories of Crime III (cultural)
Theories of Crime IV (gender)
Causes of Crime - Poverty
Week 5
Drugs and crime
Drugs and crime
Causes of Crime - Gender
Week 6
Reading Week
Week 7
Police Role I (EM)
Police Role II (EM)
Drugs and crime
Week 8
Police legal powers/investigation I (EM)
Police legal powers/investigation II (EM)
Policing the community
Week 9
Pre-trial process & prosecution
Courts and Sentencing
Policing and criminal justice
Week 10
Sentencing Law and Policy I
Sentencing – Law and Policy II
Pre-trial process
Week 11
Sentencing Law and Policy III
Sentencing Law and Policy IV
Proportionality in sentencing
Week 12
Sentencing dangerous offenders
Personal factors in sentencing
Suggested reading list
- Liebling, A., Maruna, S. and McAra, L. (eds) (2017) The Oxford Handbook of Criminology Sixth Edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
- [Recommended Purchase] Newburn, T. (2017) Criminology (3rd edition) London: Routledge