CRIM1102 Criminal Justice System

In this topic, students explore the institutions and operations of the criminal justice system and assess how crime is managed and justice is delivered in Australia. The topic examines the aims of the criminal justice system, investigating how practices of policing, judging and sentencing produce justice outcomes for offenders and victims. The topic explores how the criminal justice system copes with race and gender, and responds to its own mistakes (miscarriages of justice). Students also question whose interests are served by the operation of the justice system.

This topic aims to:

• Assess how crime is managed and justice is delivered in Australia
• Examine the aims of the criminal justice system
• Investigate how practices of policing, judging and sentencing produce justice outcomes for offenders and victims
• Examine the effectiveness of punishment
• Examine how the criminal justice system responds to its own mistakes

1. Critique the aims of the criminal justice system
2. Critique criminal justice institutions in Australian and abroad
3. Analyse decision making within criminal justice in Australian and abroad
4. Judge institutional responses to crime and victims
5. Recognise examples and instances of injustice in the above systems, institutions, decision making and responses
6. Read and analyse basic criminological texts
7. Use criminological databases