Working in the Criminal Justice System - SOC00056H
Module summary
What is it like to work in the criminal justice system? How can sociological and criminological theory and concepts help us understand the experience? In this module, you will develop an understanding of the criminal justice system from the perspective of the people who work in it.
Module will run
| Occurrence | Teaching period |
|---|---|
| A | Semester 2 2025-26 |
Module aims
What is it like to work in the criminal justice system? How can sociological and criminological theory and concepts help us understand the experience? In this module, you will develop an understanding of the criminal justice system from the perspective of the people who work in it. Structured around specific occupations, with contributions from practitioners, the module will provide you with an appreciation of the roles and responsibilities of people working in the criminal justice system. We will enable you to critically reflect on the key debates about what they do and how they do it, and to explore the occupations and sociological concepts that interest you.
Module learning outcomes
Discuss a range of types of work within the criminal justice system and make comparisons between roles.
Critically engage with current debates about work in the criminal justice system.
Critically analyse and apply sociological and criminological concepts to the experiences of those working in the criminal justice system.
Communicate a scholarly argument in visual and written formats.
Indicative assessment
| Task | % of module mark |
|---|---|
| Essay/coursework | 100 |
Special assessment rules
None
Indicative reassessment
| Task | % of module mark |
|---|---|
| Essay/coursework | 100 |
Module feedback
For formative work - draft poster - students will receive written or verbal feedback on how to improve their skills in areas that will contribute towards their summative assessment. The formative assessment provides practice for the summative task, which are in line with MLO 1-4.
For summative work - poster and essay - students will receive an overall mark and grading according to clearly defined criteria for assessing their knowledge, skills and abilities in line with MLO 1-4. They will also receive written feedback showing areas in which they have done well, and those areas in which they need to improve that will contribute to their progress.
Indicative reading
Bennett, J. (2015). The Working Lives of Prison Managers. 1st ed. London: Palgrave Macmillan. [Online]. Available at: doi:10.1057/9781137498953.
Mawby, R. C. et al. (2013). Doing probation work [electronic resource] : identity in a criminal justice occupation / Rob C. Mawby and Anne Worrall. New York: Routledge.
Phillips, J. et al. (2020). Emotional labour in criminal justice and criminology / edited by Jake Phillips, Jaime Waters, Chalen Westaby, Andrew Fowler. London : Routledge.
Holdaway, S. (2013). Police Culture: Themes and Concepts. By Tom Cockcroft (London: Routledge, 2013, 168pp. 25.99 pb). British journal of criminology, 53 (4), pp.710–712. [Online]. Available at: doi:10.1093/bjc/azt022.