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

Programme/Approved Electives for 2026/27

Available as a Free Standing Elective

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’ll develop the skills to critically analyse justice systems, evaluate reform initiatives, and imagine better futures for those most affected by crime and punishment

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

Study hours

• 12 x 1-hour lectures
• 12 x 1-hour workshops
• 30 hours directed reading and seminar preparation
• 20 hours formative preparation and feedback engagement
• 40 hours assessment preparation (Essay)
• 36 hours independent study

School Rules

None

Description of Module Assessment