ATS1423 - Punishment, courts and corrections - 2019

The unit presents the administrative workings, functions and experiences in areas such as courts, sentencing, imprisonment, community corrections, parole and release. The unit will equip students with a solid understanding of courts and corrections in the criminal justice system. Importantly we observe the how the administration of justice is played out through the court system and consider punishments against themes of human difference, exclusion, human rights and social justice. This unit presents basic theories of punishment and its role in our society. The unit encourages students to grasp how punishment and prisons cannot be viewed outside broader social, political and economic contexts. Applied focus is upon the administrative functions in courts and correctional settings and prisons in Australia.

Upon successful completion of the unit, students will be able to:

1. explain the system of courts and their operation at the state and national level;
2. discuss the role and workings of corrections at the state and national level;
3. describe the different types of punishment within Victoria and other Australian jurisdictions;
4. compare and analyse perspectives and debates on the role of punishment, its administrative functions and practices in society.

Within semester assessment: 70% + Exam: 30%

Minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of scheduled learning activities and independent study. A unit requires on average three/four hours of scheduled activities per week. Scheduled activities may include a combination of teacher directed learning, peer directed learning and online engagement.

See also Unit timetable information

Bachelor of Criminology

Criminology