PC4S042 - Critical Issues in Criminal Justice Policy 01 Sep 2021 - 31 Aug 2026 | Version 2

Associated Module Information

Module Code: PC4S042
Module Title: Critical Issues in Criminal Justice Policy
Faculty: Faculty of Life Sciences and Education
Faculty Group: Policing and Criminology
Faculty Sub Group: Policing
Module Leader: Cheryl Allsop
Module Team: Helen Martin, Daniel Welch, Alun Davies
First Intended Intake: SEP 2020 Final Year of Intake: 2025
Date Closed:
Credit Value: 20 Credit Level: 7
Language: English
Percentage of Module Taught in Welsh: 0
Equivalent Module:
HECOS codes: 100486 - policing
HECOS Code Weighting: 100

Document Version Information

Version 2
Valid From 01 Sep 2021
Valid To 31 Aug 2026

Module Aims

This module aims to develop students’ critical understanding of how criminal justice policy is shaped by specific events, as well as by longer term policy pressures such as financial constraints or the tensions between managing terrorist threats and maintaining human rights. In so doing the dynamic nature of the policy area will be recognised. The module will draw on practitioner and academic perspectives.

A consistent focus will be the interpretation of key events and how their significance politically, and to policy development, can be effectively analysed.

Content Summary

This module is intended to be recognise and interpret key events and factors that lead to developments in criminal justice policy. The content will consequently include key influential events from recent criminal justice history. It will be responsive to similar emergent developments in criminal justice policy. Consequently, flexibility in terms of content is required.

Indicative content includes:

Scarman (Brixton) and Macpherson (Lawrence) and the policing of diversity
Governance of the police and the democratic mandate of the Police and Crime Commissioners
Privatisation in prisons and probation
The terrorist threat, fear, and increasingly intrusive surveillance
The implications of Hillsborough for public confidence in criminal justice and the state
Bulger, Bell and Youth Justice
Substance misuse and management
Global protest movements and management
Cold case investigations
Delivering justice through austerity
Historic child sex abuse

Learning and Teaching Methods

Activity Type Hours
Lecture 20
Seminar 10
Independent Study 110
Directed Study 60
Total Hours Selected 200

Learning Outcomes

# Learning Outcome
LO1 Demonstrate a critical awareness of how key events and / or situations have impacted on an area of criminal justice policy
LO2 Demonstrate a critical evaluation of the impact (or potential impact) of resultant change

Module Requisites

N/A

Assessment Criteria

Assessment Category Assessment Type Description Duration Word Count Weight (%) Best of? Pass Mark
Synchronous Online Oral Assessment Presentation (Synchronous Online) 1 VIVA Discussion 30 N/A 100 No 40

Assessment Matrix

Assessment Type Learning Outcomes
LO1 LO2
Presentation (Synchronous Online) 1

Reading List

Hamerton, C. and Hobbs, S. (2014) The Making of Criminal Justice London: Routledge

Newburn, T. and Sparks, R. (2012) Criminal Justice and Political Cultures London: Routledge

Jones, T. and Newburn, T. (2007) Policy Transfer and Criminal Justice Maidenhead: Open University Press

Sanders, A., Young, R., and Burton, M. (2010) Criminal Justice 4th edition Oxford: Oxford University Press

Brown, S., Esbensen, F.A. and Geis, G. (2019) Criminology : Explaining Crime and its Context. Milton : Routledge.

Carrabine, E., Cox, A., Cox, P., Crowhurst, I., Di Ronco, A., Fussey, P., Sergi, A. South, N., Thiel, D. and Turton , J. (2020) Criminology : A Sociological Introduction ( 4th Edn.).London :Routledge Taylor and Francis Group.

Harding, J., Davies, P. and Mair, G. (2017) An Introduction to Criminal Justice . London: Sage

Newburn, T.(2017) Criminology . London: Routledge: Taylor and Francis

Rogers, C.(2020) Policing Structures. Oxford: Routledge: Taylor and Francis