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CRI-20050 - Module Specification
School of Humanities and Social Sciences
Faculty of Business, Law, Humanities & Social Sciences

For academic year: 2026/27 Last Updated: 16 September 2026

CRI-20050 - Crime and Justice in Practice: Voices from the Margins
Coordinator: Clare Griffiths Tel: +44 1782 7 33597
Lecture Time:
Level: Level 5
Credits: 15
Study Hours: 150
School Office:

Programme/Approved Electives for 2026/27

None

Available as a Free Standing Elective

No

Co-requisites

None

Prerequisites

None

Barred Combinations

None

Description for 2026/27

Why are certain groups more likely to come into contact with the criminal justice system? How do issues like mental health, race, gender, class, and age shape how justice is delivered — or denied? This module takes you inside the spaces where social inequality and criminal justice meet. It explores how marginalised individuals and communities are criminalised, excluded, and managed within the justice system. By connecting theory to practice, you will develop the skills to critically analyse justice systems, evaluate reform initiatives, and imagine better futures for those most affected by crime and punishment

Aims
1. To develop students’ understanding of how social inequality and marginalisation shape experiences of crime and justice.
2. To explore how structural factors such as race, gender, class, age, disability and mental health intersect within criminal justice processes.
3. To encourage critical reflection on how policy, practice, and power operate across criminal justice contexts.
4. To examine the role of practitioners, communities, and lived experience in challenging exclusionary practices and imagining reform.
5. To foster analytical, evaluative, and professional skills relevant to criminal justice, social policy, and community practice.

Intended Learning Outcomes

Analyse how social inequalities shape contact with, and outcomes in, the criminal justice system.: 1,2
Evaluate criminological theories and policy approaches addressing marginalisation and exclusion.: 1,2
Apply theoretical and empirical evidence to real-world debates in criminal justice reform and practice.: 1,2
Reflect on the role of professionals, practitioners and lived experience in shaping justice outcomes.: 1,2
Communicate evidence-based arguments and policy recommendations in both academic and professional formats.: 1,2

Study hours

12 x 1-hour lectures
12 x 1-hour workshops
24 hours of directed preparation for lecture-seminars and workshops via engagement with online asynchronous activities and information specific to each learning week.
52 hours of personal study and additional self-directed preparation for classes
50 hours of assessment preparation (including 15 hours of research and work on visual props for group presentation and 35 hours of exam revision)

School Rules

None

Description of Module Assessment

1: Exam weighted 70%
2-hour exam with pre-released questions
Students will receive a list of 8-10 essay-style questions on the topics covered by the module early in the semester. Three of those questions will then be (randomly) selected for the exam paper, and each student will choose two of the three to write about, in a two-hour in-person examination. Guidance and opportunities for formative assessment and exam revision support will be provided throughout the term.

2: Presentation weighted 30%
Group presentation
Students will work in groups of 4-5 to produce a 10-15 minute presentation on one of the module topics, to be delivered during the seminars. Written feedback will be provided and alternatives (e.g. presenting only to tutors) will be available for students requiring adjustments. Students will receive an individual mark.

The University undertakes a continuous review of its teaching and research provision to ensure programmes are of a high quality and changes may be made to modules where it is necessary and reasonable to do so. Please be aware that minor changes to modules, such as a change to an individual assessment, can occur up until enrolment, although we endeavour to give you as much notice as possible of any changes. Details about the circumstance in which changes are made to programmes can be found in the Student Agreement, available at: https://www.keele.ac.uk/legalgovernancecompliance/governance/actcharterstatutesordinancesandregulations/studenttermsconditions/

Last Updated: 16 September 2026