CM4S151 - Comparative Crime and Punishment 01 Sep 2023 - 31 Aug 2029 | Version 1

Associated Module Information

Module Code: CM4S151
Module Title: Comparative Crime and Punishment
Faculty: Faculty of Life Sciences and Education
Faculty Group: Health, Sport and Professional Practice
Faculty Sub Group: Criminology
Module Leader: Lulu Zacharia
Module Team: Helen Martin, Daniel Welch, Ian McKim
First Intended Intake: Final Year of Intake:
Date Closed:
Credit Value: 20 Credit Level: 7
Language: English
Percentage of Module Taught in Welsh: 0
Equivalent Module:
HECOS codes: 100483 - criminal justice 100484 - criminology
HECOS Code Weighting: 50 50

Document Version Information

Version 1
Valid From 01 Sep 2023
Valid To 31 Aug 2029

Module Aims

This module aims to critically explore comparative perspectives on crime and punishment locally, nationally, and globally. The module will explore how various criminal justice systems respond to crime, explore methods of punishment, and alternative responses.

There will be an in-depth exploration of systematic injustices, social harms such as oppression and discrimination and students will to explore limitations and critical solutions to local, national, and global responses to crime and punishment.

Content Summary

This module will explore the following topics:

Current theoretical and methodological debates

within criminology and criminal justice and their implications for understanding crime, deviance, and social control.

Social harms such as oppression, inequality, discrimination, and unjust punishments.

Tensions and controversies surrounding punishments.

Key crime and social harm problems such as the conflict between human rights and justice and conflicts surrounding contemporary criminal, civil and administrative justice.

Differentiation in crime, approaches, solutions, and interventions across the globe (e.g. penalty, sentencing, corporal and capital punishments)

Explore how different institutions in society, and justice systems, respond (or fail to respond) to social harms caused by crime, deviance, and non-compliance with societal rules.

Focus upon contemporary research, policy, and legislation.

The role and agendas of key justice actors involved in identifying, prosecuting, and repairing crime and social harm such as the European Court of Human Rights, the United Nations and national crime, justice and policing agencies and assess their limitations.

This module will embed foundations of a decolonised curriculum to broaden student perspectives by instituting perspectives to crime and punishment from the global south.

Learning and Teaching Methods

Activity Type Hours
Practical classes and workshops 28
Independent Study 150
Directed Study 20
Active/Simulation Based 2
Total Hours Selected 200

Learning Outcomes

# Learning Outcome
LO1 A critical exploration of comparative perspectives on crime and punishment locally, nationally, and globally
LO2 To critically assess the social harms that can be a result of the practice of crime and punishment

Module Requisites

N/A

Assessment Criteria

Assessment Category Assessment Type Description Duration Word Count Weight (%) Best of? Pass Mark
Asynchronous Assessment Case study 1 A concentrated inquiry into a single case or subject 0 3500 100 No 40

Assessment Matrix

Assessment Type Learning Outcomes
LO1 LO2
Case study 1

Reading List

Brangan, L. (2022) The Politics of Punishment - A Comparative Study of Imprisonment and Political Culture. 1st Edition. Routledge.

Newburn, T., and Jones. J. (2022) Policing, punishment, and comparative penalty. The British Journal of Criminology, Volume 62, Issue 5, September 2022, Pages 1196–1212,?https://doi.org/10.1093/bjc/azac032

Heard. C., and Jacobson, J. (2021) Sentencing burglary, drug importation and murder – Evidence from 10 countries. Institute for Crime & Justice Policy Research, January 2021. Birkbeck University of London.