ATS3322 - Practical and comparative penology - 2019

The unit is primarily based at students who are aiming for a career as a prison officer. Field visits to prisons, both low and high security facilities, will be undertaken, and the day-to-day challenges faced by prison staff will be discussed and reflected upon. The unit is inherently comparative, drawing on the Nordic exceptionalism thesis, and engages with a range of key issues around modern prison practice, such as design, security model, staff training, prisoners with cognitive disabilities, and terrorist suspects. It aims to identify best practice in a challenging and changing environment.

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

1. understand the influence of culture, politics, and history on contemporary prison practice;
2. critically reflect on their own practice, and maintain an awareness of the impact their actions have on prisoners and other staff;
3. ability to read and understand relevant research, and implement such new knowledge in their practice and leadership roles;
4. have clear understanding of how to work effectively with challenging prisoner groups.

Within semester assessment: 100%

Minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 288 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

Criminology