Crime to Punishment: Processes and Institutions

Unit Outline (Higher Education)

   
?   Display Outline Guidelines      


Effective Term: 2026/05
Institute / School :Institute of Education, Arts & Community
Unit Title: Crime to Punishment: Processes and Institutions
Unit ID: CRJUS1285
Credit Points: 15.00
Prerequisite(s): Nil
Co-requisite(s): Nil
Exclusion(s): (ATSGC1284 and CRJUS1284)
ASCED: 099903
Other Change:  
Brief description of the Unit

In this unit, you will develop a foundational understanding of the criminal justice landscape, including the varied and numerous agencies that interact with the justice system. In addition, you will analyse the challenges impacting on the key institutions of Police, Courts and Corrections, and explore the key debates and tensions in the administration of justice. The unit poses, among other key questions, whether current approaches of criminal justice agencies reflect the current expectations of society.

Grade Scheme: Graded (HD, D, C, P, MF, F, XF)
Work Experience Indicator:
No work experience
Placement Component:
Supplementary Assessment:Yes
Where supplementary assessment is available a student must have failed overall in the Unit but gained a final mark of 45 per cent or above, has completed all major assessment tasks (including all sub-components where a task has multiple parts) as specified in the Unit Description and is not eligible for any other form of supplementary assessment
Course Level:
Level of Unit in CourseAQF Level(s) of Course
5678910
Introductory                                        
Intermediate                                                
Advanced                                                
Learning Outcomes:
Knowledge:
K1.

Identify and analyse the various agencies in the criminal justice system.

K2.

Examine the roles of a broad range of agencies in the criminal justice system and question whether the needs of various people engaging as offenders, victims and accused with the justice are met.

Skills:
S1.

Analyse the diverse responses by criminal justice agencies to the types and prevalence of crime.

S2.

Critically engage with contemporary criminal justice literature by identifying peer-reviewed articles, synthesising diverse perspectives, paraphrasing key ideas, formulating coherent arguments that reflect current debates and issues while adhering to academic standards and writing conventions.

Application of knowledge and skills:
A1.

Apply critical thinking to key debates concerning responses by criminal justice agencies to offending.

A2.

Apply critical thinking and integrate conceptual frameworks to analyse the range and diversity of criminal justice agency responses to offending behaviour and engage with key debates surrounding these approaches.

Other outcomes:
Unit Content:

Key concepts surrounding the criminal justice system in action of criminal justice, incorporating a wide diversity of issues, debates, concepts and perspectives of institutional responses may include:

Topics may include:

1.     What is the criminal justice system, who are the key actors and what are the key concepts

2.     Should the criminal justice system reflect the values of society, and why should we care?

3.     'Crime to punishment: Overview of the criminal justice process

4.     Criminal Justice Agencies: who are they and what is their role?

5.     Indigenous Justice

6.     How laws are made and changed

7.     Police in Australia and the nature of police work – Force or Service

8.     Courts – types of courts and matters heard

9.     Judicial decisions and sentencing

10. Punishment and penalty – the type of prisons, their role and do they work?

11. Failures of justice

12. Criminal Justice and the media 

Graduate Attributes:
Federation University recognises that students require key transferable employability skills to prepare them for their future workplace and society. FEDTASKS (Transferable Attributes Skills and Knowledge) provide a targeted focus on five key transferable Attributes, Skills, and Knowledge that are be embedded within curriculum, developed gradually towards successful measures and interlinked with cross-discipline and Co-operative Learning opportunities. One or more FEDTASK, transferable Attributes, Skills or Knowledge must be evident in the specified learning outcomes and assessment for each FedUni Unit, and all must be directly assessed in each Course.

FED TASK and descriptorDevelopment and acquisition of FEDTASKS in the Unit
Level
FEDTASK 1
Interpersonal

Students will demonstrate the ability to effectively communicate, inter-act and work with others both individually and in groups. Students will be required to display skills in-person and/or online in:

•   Using effective verbal and non-verbal communication

•   Listening for meaning and influencing via active listening

•   Showing empathy for others

•   Negotiating and demonstrating conflict resolution skills

•   Working respectfully in cross-cultural and diverse teams.

Level 1 - Students require directions and boundaries from mentor
FEDTASK 2
Leadership

Students will demonstrate the ability to apply professional skills and behaviours in leading others. Students will be required to display skills in:

•   Creating a collegial environment

•   Showing self -awareness and the ability to self-reflect

•   Inspiring and convincing others

•   Making informed decisions

•   Displaying initiative

Level 1 - Students require directions and boundaries from mentor
FEDTASK 3
Critical Thinking and Creativity

Students will demonstrate an ability to work in complexity and ambiguity using the imagination to create new ideas. Students will be required to display skills in:

•   Reflecting critically

•   Evaluating ideas, concepts and information

•   Considering alternative perspectives to refine ideas

•   Challenging conventional thinking to clarify concepts

•   Forming creative solutions in problem solving.

Level 1 - Students require directions and boundaries from mentor
FEDTASK 4
Digital Literacy

Students will demonstrate the ability to work fluently across a range of tools, platforms and applications to achieve a range of tasks. Students will be required to display skills in:

•   Finding, evaluating, managing, curating, organising and sharing digital information

•   Collating, managing, accessing and using digital data securely

•   Receiving and responding to messages in a range of digital media

•   Contributing actively to digital teams and working groups

•   Participating in and benefiting from digital learning opportunities.

Level 1 - Students require directions and boundaries from mentor
FEDTASK 5
Sustainable and Ethical Mindset

Students will demonstrate the ability to consider and assess the consequences and impact of ideas and actions in enacting ethical and sustainable decisions. Students will be required to display skills in:

•   Making informed judgments that consider the impact of devising solutions in global economic environmental and societal contexts

•   Committing to social responsibility as a professional and a citizen

•   Evaluating ethical, socially responsible and/or sustainable challenges and generating and articulating responses

•   Embracing lifelong, life-wide and life-deep learning to be open to diverse others

•   Implementing required actions to foster sustainability in their professional and personal life.

Level 1 - Students require directions and boundaries from mentor
 Learning Outcomes AssessedAssessment TasksAssessment TypeWeightingProfessional Standards
1. K1, K2

Online tasks weeks 4, 5, 8 and 9

Online tasks

20-40%
2. K1, K2, A1

Analyse and reflect on court proceedings

Court Reflection

20-40%
3. S1, S2, A1, A2

Law Reform: discussion and reflection of criminal justice debates

Multimedia piece

30-50%
Adopted Reference Style:
APA  ()

Professional Standards / Competencies:
 Standard / Competency