SP470
Criminal Justice Policy
This information is for the 2022/23 session.
Teacher responsible
Professor Coretta Phillips OLD 2.28
Availability
This course is compulsory on the MSc in Criminal Justice Policy. This course is available with permission as an outside option to students on other programmes where regulations permit.
All Social Policy Courses are ‘Controlled Access’. Please see the link below for further details on the allocation process:
https://info.lse.ac.uk/current-students/services/course-choice/controlled-access-courses
Amongst non-Social Policy students, if there are places available, priority will be given to those on the Master of Laws and Master of Laws (extended part-time study).
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
Courses in Social Policy follow the Teaching Model outlined on the following page: https://www.lse.ac.uk/social-policy/Current-Students/teaching-in-the-department-of-social-policy
All teaching will be in accordance with the LSE Academic Code (https://info.lse.ac.uk/current-students/lse-academic-code) which specifies a "minimum of two hours taught contact time per week when the course is running in the Michaelmas and/or Lent terms". Social Policy courses are predominantly taught through a combination of in-person Lectures and In person classes/seminars. Further information will be provided by the Course Convenor in the first lecture of the course.
The course will be delivered in Michaelmas and Lent term.
Formative coursework
MT - 2000 word formative essay and one-to-one feedback.
Indicative reading
Liebling, A., Maruna, S. and McAra, L. (eds.) (2017) The Oxford Handbook of Criminology. Sixth Edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Newburn, T. (2017) Criminology. Third Edition. London: Routledge.
McLaughlin, E. and Newburn, T. (eds.) (2010) The Sage Handbook of Criminological Theory. London: Sage.
Downes, D., Rock, P., and McLaughlin, E. (2016) Understanding Deviance: A Guide to the Sociology of Crime and Rule-Breaking. 7th Edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Newburn, T. (ed.) (2009) Key Readings in Criminology. Cullompton: Willan Publishing.
Assessment
Essay (40%, 3000 words) in the LT.
Online assessment (60%).
The online assessment will consist of 12 questions of which students must answer 3.
Key facts
Department: Social Policy
Total students 2021/22: 25
Average class size 2021/22: 13
Controlled access 2021/22: Yes
Value: One Unit
Course selection videos
Some departments have produced short videos to introduce their courses. Please refer to the course selection videos index page for further information.
Personal development skills
- Self-management
- Team working
- Problem solving
- Application of information skills
- Communication
- Application of numeracy skills