CRI4010 - Contemporary Issues in Criminal Justice

Leader: Jude McCulloch

Offered

Caulfield Second semester 2007 (Day)

Synopsis

Contemporary Issues in Criminal Justice engages students in key debates in contemporary criminal justice practice and theory. This unit provides students with an advanced understanding of the terms, concepts and debates necessary for analysing the current state of criminal justice across diverse jurisdictions. Issues to be examined include: criminal justice and diverse populations; trans-national criminal justice; criminal justice, security and order; and new frameworks and directions in criminal justice.

Objectives

Upon completion of Contemporary Issues in Criminal Justice students will be able to:

1. Critically examine contemporary criminal justice practice and research relating to diverse populations including indigenous peoples, gender, young people and ethnic communities.
2. Critically examine contemporary criminal justice practice and research in relation to trans-national issues including peacekeeping and inter-agency co-operation; working in divided and post conflict societies; cross border crime; and security and intelligence.
3. Critically examine contemporary criminal justice practice and research in relation to violence, security and order including theories of violent disorder across local criminal justice sectors; strategies of negotiated management and control and strategies for controlling crime.
4. Critically examine contemporary criminal justice practice and research in relation to new frameworks and directions in criminal justice including regulation and restorative justice; human rights; devolution of criminal justice; and state criminality and the criminal justice practitioner.
5. Demonstrate orally a critical account of the impact of criminal justice practice and research.
6. Demonstrate a critical understanding of contemporary criminal justice research on policy development.
7. Produce critical written accounts of contemporary criminal justice practice and research.

Assessment

Seminar Presentation (2000 words): 25%
Policy Report (3000 words): 35%
Essay (4000 words): 40%

Contact hours

2 hours (1 x 2 hour seminar) per week