SA403
Criminal Justice Policy
This information is for the 2013/14 session.
Teacher responsible
Dr Coretta Phillips OLD M2.27
Availability
This course is compulsory on the MSc in Criminal Justice Policy. This course is available on the MSc in Regulation, MSc in Regulation (Research), MSc in Social Policy (European and Comparative Social Policy), MSc in Social Policy (Research), MSc in Social Policy (Social Policy and Planning), Master of Laws and Master of Laws (extended part-time study). This course is available with permission as an outside option to students on other programmes where regulations permit.
This course will be capped at 30 students, with preference given first to students on MSc programmes in Social Policy, then the LLM. If spaces are still available, students from other MSc programmes will be selected on a first come first served basis.
Pre-requisites
Some prior knowledge of law or sociology is useful, but not essential.
Course content
The course provides a detailed and critical introduction to the study of criminal justice institutions, practices and participants. It begins with an introduction to the nature of crime and contemporary criminal justice policy. It then examines the main elements of modern criminal justice systems (police, courts, prisons, probation, the media, and private security). Special emphasis is given to current issues such as restorative justice and increasing rates of incarceration. The course combines up-to-date empirical work with theoretical perspectives and also emphasises the role of historical and comparative perspectives in understanding current trends.
Teaching
Lectures: SA403.1 19 weekly one and a half hour lectures, MT and, LT.
Seminars: SA403.2, 18 weekly one and a half hour seminars, MT and LT and a revision session in ST.
Formative coursework
All students are expected to submit two non-assessed essays.
Indicative reading
There are two set texts for the course: M Maguire, R Morgan & R Reiner (Eds), The Oxford Handbook of Criminology, 5th edn, 2012; and T Newburn, Criminology, 2012.
Assessment
Exam (100%, duration: 3 hours) in the main exam period.
Student performance results
(2009/10 - 2011/12 combined)
Classification | % of students |
---|---|
Distinction | 18.7 |
Merit | 63.7 |
Pass | 16.5 |
Fail | 1.1 |
Key facts
Department: Social Policy
Total students 2012/13: 31
Average class size 2012/13: 16
Value: One Unit
Course survey results
(2010/11 - 2012/13 combined)
1 = "best" score, 5 = "worst" scoreThe scores below are average responses.
Response rate: 85%
Question |
Average | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Reading list (Q2.1) |
1.7 | ||||||
Materials (Q2.3) |
1.6 | ||||||
Course satisfied (Q2.4) |
1.6 | ||||||
Lectures (Q2.5) |
1.8 | ||||||
Integration (Q2.6) |
1.7 | ||||||
Contact (Q2.7) |
2 | ||||||
Feedback (Q2.8) |
1.8 | ||||||
Recommend (Q2.9) |
|