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Overview

This module aims to build on the introduction to the criminal justice system in England and Wales provided in Year 1 through SXY1007. It will reinforce and advance students' understanding of various measures of crime, and how the main criminal justice agencies operate in particular circumstances and under the demands of increasing international concerns about certain types of crime. Thus, the role, responsibilities and levels of accountability of the main criminal justice agencies will be reviewed in the context of contemporary concerns about specific types of crimes and criminals, such as youth crime, terrorism and state crime, white collar, cyber and organised crime. The module will focus on advancing the discussion of the most dominant debates in criminal justice and penology. In doing so the module aims to advance students’ understanding of criminal justice statistics as well as the value of comparative analysis of criminal justice practices and procedures.

Indicative Course content:

• Understanding crime and criminal justice by numbers – breaking the back of crime statistics

• Controlling youth crime

• Controlling ‘clean’ crime – cyber-crime, business crime and white collar crime

• Controlling ‘terror’ – state crime, organised crime and terrorism

Underpinning these different topics will be an engagement with concepts of social harm and how criminal justice agencies are adapting to control the different types of crimes and criminals, nationally as well as internationally.

Learning Outcomes

• Be able to analyse critically the ways in which the criminal justice system is biased against particular crimes and criminals.

• Demonstrate a thorough understanding of the way in which criminal justice agencies respond to the changing landscape of crime, criminals, and political priorities in relation to those.

• Demonstrate the ability to critically evaluate and apply key criminal justice models.

• Demonstrate the ability to locate, interpret, and critically evaluate relevant statistics, literature, and evidence relating to the criminal justice and penal system.

• Develop an appreciation of the value of a comparative analysis of the criminal justice and penal system.

• Develop an in-depth understanding of the powers, obligations and structures of accountability of the principal criminal justice agencies.

• Provide evidence of the ability to identify and engage in debates on legal, social and policy issues which inform and influence criminal justice procedures and practices.