Units
Punishment and Penal Policy
Unit code: JSB373
Contact hours: 3
Credit points: 12
Information about fees and unit costs
What is punishment? Why do we punish crime and deviance the way we do? Why do we have so many people in prison and why don’t prisons seem to work to reduce crime and make society safer? These are all important philosophical and theoretical questions that are of concern to academics, researchers, policy workers, and the general public. This unit takes up the challenge to critically analyse these questions and thereby offering students an advanced education about the philosophy of punishment, and the theoretical bases of modern penal policy. The unit will focus on the history of punishment and prisons, the rise of correctional privatisation, the rehabilitation ideal and ‘treatment’ of offending, and responses to ‘difference’, including women and indigenous-focused policies and interventions.
Availability
| Semester | Available |
|---|---|
| 2012 Semester 1 | Yes |
Sample subject outline - Semester 1 2012
Note: Subject outlines often change before the semester begins. Below is a sample outline.
Rationale
In the modern Western context, concerns with crime, victimisation and social harm are key concerns for the citizenry. These issues also make up a significant part of media and political discourse. Based on the amount of focus given to these issues, we could argue that crime and punishment are defining cultural motifs of modern Western societies, forever concerned with security and safety from the 'criminal other'. This unit offers students a critical overview of the way(s) in which modern Western responses to crime have evolved over the past two centuries. The unit introduces students to the philosophies and theories that have underpinned the development of penal policy during that period. Utilising case studies from Australia and other jurisdictions, students will be introduced to a range of policies and interventions that have been developed to support the construction of the modern penal system. Students will be walked through the various stages of the development of penal policy, from the dominance of the treatment ethic in the early 20th century and 1970s to the retribution ethic of the 1990s and 2000s. The unit will challenge students to think critically about a range of key issues confronting the penal system and policy-makers, including the need to respond to the ever-increasing prison muster, the effectiveness (or not) of the various treatment programmes and offender management systems, and the ongoing challenge of dealing with 'difference' within the prison population. This unit is tailored to students contemplating a career in correctional services, the policy sector (including Department of Communities and Department of Corrections), rehabilitation services, social and youth work, and the academy.
Aims
The aim of this unit is to provide students with an understanding of the philosophical and theoretical drivers for the historical development of Western approaches to punishment. The course is designed to encourage critical analysis of the way in which modern societies respond to crime and social harm.
Objectives
On completion of this unit, students will be able to:
1. Demonstrate knowledge of the philosophical, ideological and theoretical evolution of Western approaches to punishment, and in particular the development of state-centred penal policy and demonstrate the graduate attribute of critical awareness;
2. Analyse and critique the varied aims/rationale attributed to punishment in Western contexts and demonstrate the graduate attribute of critical thinking;
3. Critically analyse the development of penal policy from the historical and the modern context and demonstrate the graduate attribute of research;
4. Critically examine the dominant theoretical paradigms that influence the development of policy responses to crime and the affliction of punishment and demonstrate the graduate attribute of content knowledge.
Content
The major topics to be covered in this course include:
Throughout the course, the key graduate attributes identified above will be met through the content delivery, learning activities and assessment.
Approaches to Teaching and Learning
This unit will be offered to external students only.
External mode delivery is via a pre-recorded lecture podcast that will be uploaded the week prior to the schedule. External students will also be able to participate in a weekly, online discussion forum.
The lecture will introduce students to the theory, context and pertinent information for each topic within the suite of lectures. Tutorials will be used for clarification and reflection on the materials presented, as well as an opportunity for critical analysis of each topic. Assessment items will provide students with an opportunity to develop knowledge and key skills that will be required for those pursuing a career in the penal policy field, academia and related sectors, such as social work and youth work.
Assessment
The assessment for this unit is both formative (students will be provided with either written or verbal feedback for written assignments) and summative (each piece of assessment will receive a mark that will contribute to the final grade)Students will be provided with written feedback for all assessment items (with the exception of the final exam).
Assessment name:
Reflective Journal
Description:
2400 words: Students will be expected to make one journal entry per week for weeks 1 to 8 (300 words maximum) focused on their key learnings from that weeks lecture and set readings.
Relates to objectives:
1, 2, 3 and 4
Weight:
30%
Internal or external:
External
Group or individual:
Individual
Due date:
Week 10
Assessment name:
Essay
Description:
2500 words: students will answer 1 topic from a list set by the lecturer.
Relates to objectives:
2, 3 and 4
Weight:
30%
Internal or external:
External
Group or individual:
Individual
Due date:
Week 13
Assessment name:
Examination (written)
Description:
Students will complete a 2 hour internal exam asking them to answer three essay questions (from a list of six covering three different sections of the course).
Relates to objectives:
1, 2, 3 and 4
Weight:
40%
Internal or external:
External
Group or individual:
Individual
Due date:
Exam Period
Academic Honesty
Academic honesty means that you are expected to exhibit honesty and act responsibly when undertaking assessment. Any action or practice on your part which would defeat the purposes of assessment is regarded as academic dishonesty. The penalties for academic dishonesty are provided in the Student Rules. For more information you should consult the QUT Library resources for avoiding plagiarism.
Resource materials
Resources will be made available to students through the CMD.
Risk assessment statement
There are no out of the ordinary risks associated with this unit.
Disclaimer - Offer of some units is subject to viability, and information in these Unit Outlines is subject to change prior to commencement of semester.
Last modified: 03-Apr-2012
