Module description
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
Examination (75%) and 3,500-word essay (25%)
Formative coursework: three formative (unassessed) essays.
Teaching pattern
Lecture (2 x 1 hour per week), Tutorials (1 x 1 hour per week)
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