Undergraduate - UnitATS1284 - The criminal justice process

This unit entry is for students who completed this unit in 2014 only. For students planning to study the unit, please refer to the unit indexes in the the current edition of the Handbook. If you have any queries contact the managing faculty for your course or area of study.

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6 points, SCA Band 1, 0.125 EFTSL

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered, or view unit timetables.

Level	Undergraduate
Faculty	Faculty of Arts
Offered	Gippsland Second semester 2014 (Day) Gippsland Second semester 2014 (Off-campus)
Coordinator(s)	Dr Alistair Harkness

Notes

Previously coded CRJ1002

Synopsis

This unit analyses and evaluates some of the challenges confronting the main agencies of criminal justice. Students learn about the various tiers in the criminal justice process, analyse its workings and tensions, and explore community crime prevention alternatives. The unit examines state and federal police agencies, private security, criminal courts, sentencing, punishment and corrections, and diversionary and community-based initiatives. It asks, among other things, whether current approaches to the administration of criminal justice address the needs of various communities (regional, rural, urban), victims of crime and the rehabilitation potential of perpetrators of crime.

Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this unit, students are expected to have developed:

a critical awareness of the functioning of the three major institutions of the criminal justice system
a knowledge of reforms to the criminal justice system and of various diversionary alternatives
the analytical skills needed to think critically and independently about the criminal justice process
the skill to analyse a range of opinions in relation to traditional and alternative forms of policing, sentencing and punishing
an appreciation of contemporary and controversial debates relevant to justice issues in Australia
the ability to compose an essay based on evidence and logical and balanced argument.

Assessment

Tutorial participation and presentation or on-line forum participation (OCL): 10%
Written work(2500 words): 50%
2 Hour Exam: 40%

Chief examiner(s)

Dr Alistair Harkness

Workload requirements

2 hours per week (one-hour lecture and two-hour seminar)

This unit applies to the following area(s) of study

Criminal justice

Prohibitions

CRJ1002