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Unit outline_

CRIM1002: Exploring Criminal Justice

Semester 1, 2022 [Normal day] - Remote

This unit examines key features and processes of criminal justice institutions, crime justice policy and practice, and addresses contemporary debates about crime in relation to substantive areas, such as gender, race, ethnicity, and youth offending.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit
Credit points 6
Prerequisites
? 
None
Corequisites
? 
None
Prohibitions
? 
None
Assumed knowledge
? 

None

Available to study abroad and exchange students

Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator Estrella Pearce, estrella.pearce@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s) Estrella Pearce, estrella.pearce@sydney.edu.au
Type Description Weight Due Length
Assignment Take-home exercise
Long Answer/Essay
30% Formal exam period
Due date: 06 Jun 2022 at 23:59
1500wd
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
Participation Participation
Active participation
10% Ongoing Ongoing from week 2 to week13
Outcomes assessed: LO3 LO4
Assignment Essay
Long Answer/Essay
30% Week 06
Due date: 01 Apr 2022 at 23:59
1500wd
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO4 LO3 LO2
Assignment Crime policy evaluation
Long Answer/Essay
30% Week 10
Due date: 02 May 2022 at 23:59
1500wd
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO4 LO3 LO2

Assessment summary

Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas.

Assessment criteria

All assessment tasks must be submitted in this unit, including adequate tutorial participation. Note that ‘tutorial participation’ assesses ACTIVE participation during tutorial discussions and activities; and that the participation must be INFORMED by lecture and course readings content. 

If an assessment task is not submitted a final grade of Absent Fail (AF) will be awarded for the Unit.

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a High distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a Distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name

Mark range

Description

High distinction

85 - 100

 

Distinction

75 - 84

 

Credit

65 - 74

 

Pass

50 - 64

 

Fail

0 - 49

When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

 

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

  • Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
  • After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automated writing tools

You may only use generative AI and automated writing tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator. If you do use these tools, you must acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section. The assessment instructions or unit outline will give guidance of the types of tools that are permitted and how the tools should be used.

Your final submitted work must be your own, original work. You must acknowledge any use of generative AI tools that have been used in the assessment, and any material that forms part of your submission must be appropriately referenced. For guidance on how to acknowledge the use of AI, please refer to the AI in Education Canvas site.

The unapproved use of these tools or unacknowledged use will be considered a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy and penalties may apply.

Studiosity is permitted unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission as detailed on the Learning Hub’s Canvas page.

Outside assessment tasks, generative AI tools may be used to support your learning. The AI in Education Canvas site contains a number of productive ways that students are using AI to improve their learning.

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

WK Topic Learning activity Learning outcomes
Week 01 Introduction and overview; Defining crime: crime as a social construct Lecture (2 hr) LO1
Week 02 Measuring crime: crime data, crime trends, and crime and the media Lecture (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3
Measuring crime: crime data, crime trends, and crime and the media Tutorial (1 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
Week 03 Victims and offenders; and the nature and extent of crime Lecture (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3
Victims and offenders; and the nature and extent of crime Tutorial (1 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
Week 04 Explaining and responding to crime: the role of theory Lecture (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3
Explaining and responding to crime: the role of theory Tutorial (1 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
Week 05 Criminal responsibility Lecture (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3
Criminal responsibility Tutorial (1 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
Week 06 Crime investigation: police as 'gatekeepers' Lecture (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3
Crime investigation: police as 'gatekeepers' Tutorial (1 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
Week 07 Expanding crime investigation and policing Lecture (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3
Expanding crime investigation and policing Tutorial (1 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
Week 08 The Australian criminal courts: pre-trial and trial stages Lecture (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3
The Australian criminal courts: pre-trial and trial stages Tutorial (1 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
Week 09 Punishment, sentencing and the system of appeals Lecture (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3
Punishment, sentencing and the system of appeals Tutorial (1 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
Week 10 Juvenile justice Lecture (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3
Juvenile justice Tutorial (1 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
Week 11 The criminalisation process and justice for whom? (Issues of race, ethnicity, age and gender) Lecture (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3
The criminalisation process and justice for whom? (Issues of race, ethnicity, age and gender) Tutorial (1 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
Week 12 Part One: Different approaches to delivering justice (Restorative justice, Indigenous justice); Part Two: Crime prevention Lecture (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3
Part One: Different approaches to delivering justice (Restorative justice, Indigenous justice): Part Two: Crime prevention Tutorial (1 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
Week 13 Overview of the course key themes and take-home exam Lecture (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
Overview of the course key themes and take-home exam Tutorial (1 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4

Attendance and class requirements

According to Faculty Board Resolutions, students in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences are expected to attend 90% of their classes. If you attend less than 50% of classes, regardless of the reasons, you may be referred to the Examiner’s Board. The Examiner’s Board will decide whether you should pass or fail the unit of study if your attendance falls below this threshold.

If a unit of study has a participation mark, your attendance may influence this mark.

For more information on attendance, see http://sydney.edu.au/policies/showdoc.aspx?recnum=PDOC2014/345&RendNum=0.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

Essential Prescribed Unit Textbook: 

Findlay, M, Odgers, S & Yeo S 2014, Australian Criminal Justice, Oxford University Press, Melbourne.

You can purchase the textbook from several online retailers. The book is available as an eBook or a hard copy. See Canvas for details.

There are two types of readings for this unit, essential readings and suggested readings. 

Essential Readings must be read each week in preparation for the lecture, tutorial activities and discussion. Demonstrating an understanding of these readings will help you to participate in tutorials and to improve your participation mark, and assist you with completing assessments. You MUST read essential readings.

Suggested readings are additional materials that will provide you with a more in-depth understanding of the weekly topic. These readings may assist you to prepare an assessment or maybe read for your own development and knowledge in a particular area. 

The essential reading and suggested readings for each weekly lecture/tutorial are outlined in our Canvas class. All essential readings will be available electronically with the link in our Canvas class via “Reading list” tab.

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

  • LO1. Define the concepts central to crime and criminal justice.
  • LO2. Demonstrate knowledge and understanding about the operation of the criminal justice institutions and contemporary criminal justice policy and practice via formal assessment tasks and peer group discussion.
  • LO3. Evaluate the ways criminal justice processes and crime policy impact social issues in substantive areas, such as those relating to gender, race, ethnicity, and youth offending.
  • LO4. Communicate knowledge and understanding of criminal justice institutions and crime policy in contemporary and historical perspective using oral, written and digital formats via assessment tasks, seminar discussions and tutorial participation.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1 Depth of disciplinary expertise

Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.

GQ2 Critical thinking and problem solving

Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.

GQ3 Oral and written communication

Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.

GQ4 Information and digital literacy

Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.

GQ5 Inventiveness

Generating novel ideas and solutions.

GQ6 Cultural competence

Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.

GQ7 Interdisciplinary effectiveness

Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.

GQ8 Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity

An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.

GQ9 Influence

Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes Graduate qualities
GQ1 GQ2 GQ3 GQ4 GQ5 GQ6 GQ7 GQ8 GQ9

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

Previous feedback in the unit was considered when assigning the amount of weekly reading on the unit; and wherever possible adjustments were made.

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.