CRI-20022 - Module Specification
School of Social Sciences
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

Programme/Approved Electives for 2024/25

Available as a Free Standing Elective

Co-requisites

None

Prerequisites

None

Barred Combinations

None

Description for 2024/25

Are mentally disordered offenders "mad" or "bad"? Should they be "treated" or "punished"? What is the relationship between "mental health" and offending? These are just some of the questions that this second year module will introduce you to as we explore the key debates, theoretical perspectives and differing responses that surround forensic mental health. The module begins by introducing students to the variety of different ways in which mental health has been classified, understood and responded to. We start by tracing the history of the asylums and psychiatry through to the deinstitutionalisation of the mentally ill and move towards 'care in the community'. Subsequent political and public responses to a small number of high profile offences by the mentally ill in the 1990s are considered before the current framework of services for mentally disordered offenders is outlined. This will enable students to engage with the development of criminal justice and health responses to mentally disordered offenders and consider the theoretical and practical challenges that are raised by our attempts to identify and target so called 'dangerous' people. The problems surrounding treatment will also be explored.

Enable students to apply new and existing subject knowledge and understanding in criminology and related disciplines to the field of forensic mental health. This will require students to develop an understanding of how mental illness, mental disorder and personality disorder and their relationship to offending behaviour can be understood. The module also aims to enable students to develop an understanding of the different social, political and medical approaches to forensic mental health and the complexity of challenges facing a wide range of multi-disciplinary agencies (and professionals) tasked with governing offenders with mental disorder.

Intended Learning Outcomes

Apply new and existing subject knowledge and understanding in criminology and related disciplines to the field of forensic mental health: 1
Evaluate the development of different social, political and medical approaches to mentally disordered offenders health
: 1
Identify the reasons for, and potential problems with, defining and predicting dangerous and risky behaviours
: 1
Understand the complexity of challenges facing a wide range of multi-disciplinary agencies (and professionals) tasked with governing offenders with mental disorder: 1
Compare and contrast the punishment/treatment dichotomy apparent within criminal justice theory and practice: 1
Identify the range of perspectives through which mental illness, mental disorder and personality disorder and their relationship to offending behaviour can be understood: 1

Study hours

21 hours contact (10 x lecture, 10 x seminar, 1 x consultation)
40 hours tutorial preparation
29 hours independent study
60 hours assessment preparation

School Rules

None

Description of Module Assessment