Course syllabus

Class rep: bjol861@aucklanduni.ac.nz 

SEMESTER 2, 2018

30 points

Friday 9 am-12 noon

Arts 1 room 314 (206-314)  

Teacher:   Dr Robert Webb    robert.webb@auckland.ac.nz

 Summary of Course Description:              

A survey of issues in penology, describing and interpreting specific penal reform strategies in terms of their historical, social, political and economic context. An appreciation of the main themes within penology will allow a greater understanding of the role that punishment regimes play in society and specifically in the criminal justice system.

This course examines several key contemporary issues in penology, through exploring penal reform strategies and research materials from New Zealand and internationally.  This includes considering penal populism, the development of the ideas related to ‘what works’ and risk in correctional reforms.  This course also discusses the role that punishment regimes play in society, communities and amongst groups and individuals other than prisoners.  To do this, the course will examine the effects of imprisonment for prisoner’s families. The course will examine the development of various contemporary penal policies that introduce greater community involvement, including a mixed economy of criminal justice by contracting prison provision and services for offenders to private and voluntary sector agencies.  There will also be a consideration of the development of community level dispute resolution with the rise of informalism and restorative justice, both in terms of the potential empowerment and the development of social control. 

 Course outcomes:

 By the end of the course, a student should:

• Be familiar with several key penal reform strategies
• Develop a critical understanding of trends in punishment
• Understand some of the effects and changes in criminal justice systems related to communities and groups
• Be able to write an essay related to penology, combining academic research and critical analysis

 Assessment Summary:

Essay 1 30% 3500 words

Essay 2 50% 6000 words

Seminar 20%

Handbook: 702 punishment handbook 2018 with names update 5 Oct.docx

Workload and deadlines for submission of coursework:           

The University of Auckland's expectation is that students spend 10 hours per week on a 15-point course, including time in class and personal study. Students should manage their academic workload and other commitments accordingly. Deadlines for coursework are set by course convenors and will be advertised in course material. You should submit your work on time. In extreme circumstances, such as illness, you may seek an extension but you may be required to provide supporting information before the assignment is due. Late assignments without a pre-approved extension may be penalised by loss of marks – check course information for details.