Course

Penology - LAWS3105

Faculty: Faculty of Law

School: Faculty of Law

Course Outline: See below

Campus: Sydney

Career: Undergraduate

Units of Credit: 6

EFTSL: 0.12500 (more info)

Indicative Contact Hours per Week: 3

Enrolment Requirements:

Pre-requisite: Crime & the Criminal Process (LAWS1021/JURD7121), Criminal Laws (LAWS1022/JURD7122) and co-requisite Resolving Civil Disputes (LAWS2371/JURD7271) OR equivalent pre-2013 courses (Criminal Law 1, Criminal Law 2 and Litigation 1).

Excluded: CRIM2028, CRIM2036, JURD7405

CSS Contribution Charge: 1 (more info)

Tuition Fee: See Tuition Fee Schedule

Further Information: See Class Timetable

View course information for previous years.

Description

Penology is the study of punishment and forms part of the wider academic discipline of criminology. While potentially penology covers a very wide subject matter, it tends to focus on various dimensions of imprisonment. This course examines some of the key issues associated with the use of prisons in New South Wales and introduces students to current research into the use of prisons and various forms of detention. It builds on previous core subjects such as criminal law 1 and 2, and complements electives such as advanced criminal law.


Recommended Prior Knowledge

Course Objectives

  • To study and critically reflect upon a range of materials and issues which arise out of what traditionally has been called penology, or the study of punishment.
  • To develop a deeper understanding of factors that underpin imprisonment and of the key processes involved in the field.
  • To enhance the ability to engage with theoretical, legal, sociological, criminological and penological, and cultural sources and knowledges.
  • The development of policy analysis skills and interdisciplinary intellectual skills which are transferable.
  • To enhance students’ abilities to undertake high quality research.
  • To develop students’ capacity to construct written and oral argument, which demonstrates interdisciplinary research skills, and enhanced policy skills.

Main Topics

  • The colonial context of punishment in Australia.
  • The phenomenon of mass imprisonment.
  • The "new punitiveness", sentencing and parole.
  • The courts, the law and prisoners rights.
  • Indigenous imprisonment.
  • Women's imprisonment.
  • Immigration detention.
  • Prison privatisation.
A visit to a prison or the parole authority may be organised if possible.

Assessment

Report: 20%

Class participation: 10%

Essay synopsis and presentation: 10%

4,000 word research essay: 60%

Course Texts

Prescribed

Course materials available through UNSW bookshop.

Recommended

  • David Brown and Meredith Wilkie (eds) (2002) Prisoners as Citizens, The Federation Press
  • Michael Grewcock (2009) Border Crimes, Institute of Criminology Press
  • John Pratt et al (eds) (2005) The New Punitiveness, Willan Publishing
Law Books

Study Levels

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