This module provides you with a critical insight into key issues and controversies in the delivery of justice, social control and punishment. It encourages you to think critically about the role of the state in the regulation of behaviour and provides an overview of key changes that have occurred in the field of crime control and criminal justice. The first part of the module is dedicated to developing understanding of the concepts of 'policing' and the 'police'. Key issues confronting contemporary policing are explored together with an enhanced awareness of the historical context within which contemporary policing has developed.
Debates about policing are situated within broader debates of social control and governance, with a critical appreciation of the police function and role. It also considers the implications of globalisation for policing both at an organisational and conceptual level. The second part of the module provides you with the opportunity to undertake a critical examination of contemporary debates on the purpose of punishment. You will be introduced to a range of theoretical perspectives and debates on the use of punishment to address criminality and will consider the purpose of punishment in modern societies. This will be accompanied by an examination of different forms of punishment including an in-depth exploration of the use of imprisonment and comparative penal systems.
To enable students to:
To demonstrate:
This module will be taught through workshops enabling students to gain both theoretical knowledge and policy knowledge in the fields of policing and punishment studies. Three hours of weekly classes will involve a range of teaching and learning methods including the presentation of information in the traditional lecture style, alongside group work, project work, and presentations. You will be introduced to key issues and concepts in the field before working towards a ‘proposal for change' to aspects of those fields that you can identify through research evidence as in need of improvement. As the module develops you will be involved in project learning, which will teach you the skills of working to a client brief, conducting research and presenting your recommendations.
| Definitive UNISTATS Category | Indicative Description | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled learning and teaching | Workshops (3 hours x 22 weeks) | 66 |
| Guided independent study | Reading, policy based research note taking, preparation of assessments (group work and preparation for the project presentation) | 234 |
| Total (number of credits x 10) | 300 | |
There are two SUMMATIVE assessments for this module:
This assessment allows you to demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of current issues in policing by identifying a specific aspect of policing in need of improvement and identifying practical ways of effecting that change. You will write an evidence-based essay making the case for the change you are proposing based on robust research and evidence. This will form the first step in enabling you to develop experience and confidence in a range of practical skills utilized in influencing policy change and communicating policy-making in an effective way to a range of audiences.
2. Project Presentation (30%, 15 minutes)
For the second assessment you will be set a project brief by a client and will work in groups towards fulfilling that brief. This might take the form of a problem to be solved, an area of work to be improved, some uncertainty to be clarified through research, or whatever other issues the client faces in their work. You will present your solutions to the brief in competition with other groups putting forward alternative ideas. You will be assessed on both the content of the proposals and the presentation of them.
Formative exercises will be an inherent feature of the module and will be embedded into the workshop sessions. You will be given the opportunity to practice presentations and argument in order to prepare you for both the project presentation and to test out your ideas and arguments for the proposal for change essay. As we move towards the project presentation your work will be facilitated by the module team and you will be asked to demonstrate and record evidence of your group work.
| Learning Outcome | Assessment Strategy |
|---|---|
| 1) A critical appreciation of the controversies in contemporary policing and penology | SUMMATIVE: Essay and Project Presentation |
| 2) An awareness of the theoretical underpinnings of both police and penal policy | SUMMATIVE: Essay and Project Presentation |
| 3) Knowledge of the way in which police and penal policy impacts on practice | SUMMATIVE: Essay and Project Presentation |
| 4) Critical reflection in developing alternative policing and penal provision | SUMMATIVE: Essay and Project Presentation |
| 5) A broad base understanding of major debates in policing and penal policy in relation to the delivery of 'justice' | SUMMATIVE: Essay and Project Presentation |
| 6) Strong research, analytical, writing and presentation skills | SUMMATIVE: Essay and Project Presentation |
| Description of Assessment | Definitive UNISTATS Categories | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Coursework | 2000 word essay | 70 |
| Practical Exam | 15 min Group Project Presentation | 30 |
| Total (to equal 100%) | 100% | |
It is NOT a requirement that the major category of assessment is passed in order to achieve an overall pass for the module.
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Coyle, A. (2005) Understanding Prisons: Key Issues in Policy and Practice. Maidenhead: OUP.
Matthews, R. (1999) Doing Time: an Introduction to the Sociology of Imprisonment. Basingstoke: Palgrave.
Reiner, R. (2010) The Politics of the Police. Oxford: OUP.
Carlen, P. (2013) Women and Punishment: The Struggle for Justice. London: Taylor and Francis.
Drake, D. (2012) Prisons, Punishment and the Pursuit of Security. Basingstoke: Palgrave.
Garland, D. (1990) Punishment and Modern Society: A Study in Social Theory. Oxford: Oxford University Press
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Rowe, M. (2014) Introduction to Policing. 2nd edn. London: Sage.
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