Prisons and Prisoners provides Level 6 students with the opportunity to acquire an advanced understanding and critical appreciation of the theories, policies, and practices of custodial punishment, the nature and experience of imprisonment, the potential for rehabilitation in prison, and the realities of release and resettlement. Throughout, the module is attentive to the ways in which the use and experience of prison differs according to the prisoner’s gender, race, age, sexuality, and offending profile. International comparisons are made to further students’ appreciation of the merits, demerits, and debateable effectiveness of the penal system of England and Wales. The module accordingly aims to challenge students to examine their own preconceptions about prisons and prisoners; to encourage critical thinking about the use and role of imprisonment in contemporary society and within a historical and comparative context; and to consider alternative approaches to punishment and imprisonment.  

Prisons and Prisoners builds upon learning undertaken in the preceding two years and therefore assumes that students have successfully completed SI0284 Foundations of Contemporary Criminology (Year 1/Level 4) and SI0202 Responses to Crime (Year 2/Level 5) before enrolling upon this module. Any students electing to take this module who have not successfully completed these modules will need to complete introductory reading in advance of the module’s commencement.  

Demonstrate a detailed knowledge and critical understanding of the key ideas, theories and concepts used in penology; policy, practice, and legal issues associated with the use of imprisonment as a state response to crime. (Learning Outcome 1) 

Demonstrate a detailed knowledge and critical understanding of experiences of adapting to and living in prisons, for prisoners of different personal, offending, and criminogenic profiles, and across different security categories. (Learning Outcome 2) 

Demonstrate a detailed knowledge and critical understanding of the challenges of successful resettlement in the community after a term of imprisonment. (Learning Outcome 3)  

Critically evaluate existing knowledge, scholarship, research, and policy debates in penology. Use this knowledge to reach a balanced judgement about both the effectiveness of imprisonment in England in Wales and other, alternative and comparative approaches to custodial punishment and offender rehabilitation. (Learning Outcome 4) 

This module will be delivered through a mixture of synchronous and asynchronous activities, as part of this programme’s blended provision, which will include on-campus and online teaching and support.

The precise mode of delivery and details – subject to Welsh Government and Public Health Wales guidance – of the teaching and support activities will be made available at the start of the semester via Learning Central.

Across all learning outcomes, students who successfully complete this module will acquire or practice the following skills, as appropriate to Level 6 learners:  

Academic Skills 

• Locating, reading, summarizing, interpreting, and synthesizing complex information from a range of sources. (LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4) 
• Thinking critically about theoretical, policy, and practice approaches and evidence acquired through empirical research. (LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4) 
• Creating and constructing a clear and coherent written argument on a particular topic, drawn from multiple scholarly sources. (LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4) 

Module Specific Skills 

• Detailed knowledge and critical understanding of the theoretical, conceptual, empirical, legal, policy and practice issues emerging from ‘Prisons and Prisoners’. (LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4) 
• Critical thinking about the contemporary purposes, effectiveness, and limitations of prisons as a state response to crime and as a conduit to successful rehabilitation and resettlement. (LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4) 
• Critically compare the penal system, philosophy, and practices of England and Wales with other jurisdictions (LO4) 

Employability/Transferability Skills  

• Ability to think critically and analytically; to comprehend, evaluate, and interpret evidence; and to draw out policy and practice implications. (LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4) 
• Ability to devise and communicate coherently complex information and evidence-based oral and written arguments, using IT skills. (LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4) 
• Ability to participate, interact, and work collaboratively with one’s peers. (LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4) 

Ability to organize and manage one’s time and workload effectively, to exercise personal responsibility, and to work independently. (LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4) 

Formative 0%  - Online (self-marked) quiz during synchronous workshops and verbal feedback from staff on understanding of set readings and the wider topic.

Summative: 2000-word essay 70% - Students select, prepare and submit one essay, from a choice of essay questions. These questions are linked to the taught content and set and further readings completed during independent study and aligned with relevant learning outcomes. End of module coursework deadline.

Summative: 45 minute online multiple-choice question exam 30% - The questions are linked to the taught content, set readings, and learning outcomes, from across the module.  End of module exam period.

The key themes of the module are: 

Custodial punishment in theory, law, and practice: Building on the study undertaken in years one and two, this theme explores how prisons have been theorised in terms of the philosophies and sociologies of punishment. Students are encouraged to question critically the aims and politics of contemporary imprisonment, including in a comparative context; the debates around penal ‘crisis’ and reform; and the potential for rehabilitative cultures in prison.  

Experiences of imprisonment: This theme is concerned with the lived realities of imprisonment, encompassing both offenders’ rehabilitative and anti-therapeutic prison experiences and the perspectives and experiences of prison staff and of prisoners’ families. Students will also enhance their understanding of research methods, as they apply to prisons research, the diverse difficulties researchers encounter, and the contribution of such research to understanding prison experiences and the development of penal policy and practice.  

Release and resettlement from prison: Students are encouraged to consider the processes and challenges relating to the release and resettlement of prisoners, with particular emphasis upon the potential contribution of prisoners’ families to successful resettlement and desistance from crime.