JSB169 Justice Sectors: Foundations and Futures


To view more information for this unit, select Unit Outline from the list below. Please note the teaching period for which the Unit Outline is relevant.


Unit Outline: Semester 1 2026, Kelvin Grove, Internal

Unit code:JSB169
Credit points:12
Coordinator:Bridget Weir | bridget.weir@qut.edu.au
Disclaimer - Offer of some units is subject to viability, and information in these Unit Outlines is subject to change prior to commencement of the teaching period.

Overview

This unit explores how justice is practiced in various sectors. It aims to facilitate the contextualisation of critical justice in practice by guiding students through key topics and practical scenarios relevant to key justice sectors, including criminology, violence prevention, policy, politics, intelligence and investigations.The unit explores the careers of critical justice professionals working in these fields, shedding light on the roles, responsibilities, and challenges they face. By taking a practice-based approach, the unit aims to help students understand the real-world impacts and challenges confronting justice practitioners in these diverse sectors.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:

  1. Collate and discuss scholarly information on justice sector problems from a variety of sources.
  2. Analyse justice sectors to identify key trends, challenges and emerging opportunities.
  3. Reflect on personal values and justice sector careers to inform future learning and professional practice.
  4. Apply theories and principles to analyse crime and justice problems.

Content

This unit will cover the following:

  • The justice sectors and their intersections
  • Working in the justice sectors
  • Contemporary trends, challenges, opportunities and sustainability for critical justice professionals
  • Ethical decision making
  • Criminology and violence prevention:
    • Exploration of criminological theories and their application in understanding criminal behaviour and responses of the criminal justice system
    • Examination of crime prevention strategies.
  • Policy and Politics:
    • Analysis of how policies are formulated and implemented within the justice system.
    • The influence of political ideologies and government structures on justice practices.
  • Intelligence and Investigations:
    • Overview of intelligence gathering and analysis techniques used in criminal investigations.
    • The role of investigative practices in solving crimes

Learning Approaches

In this unit, you will learn by engaging in the following:

  • online and/or face-to-face delivery
  • lectures (including guest lectures)
  • tutorials
  • embedded support for research and writing skills
  • self-awareness tools for values, characters and skills
  • readings and video sources.

This unit will employ scenario and case based learning activities.

Feedback on Learning and Assessment

Feedback in this unit is provided to you in the following ways:

  • a range of formative exercises discussed and undertaken throughout the unit
  • self assessment and reflection on personal skills and values
  • generic comments posted to the whole cohort via the unit Canvas website
  • feedback from peers as you investigate and discuss issues raised throughout the unit
  • comments about summative assessment work included on criteria sheets with your grade.

Assessment

Overview

There are three assessments for this unit.

1. Research log - This task draws on what you have learnt about the justice sectors to gather research, review and summarise a specific challenge facing the justice sector. This task focuses on research skills and the ability to synthesise information in a professional context.

2. Digital Poster - This assessment asks you to create a digital poster that visualises your future professional self within the justice sector. Drawing on your research into sector roles, trends, and challenges, the poster will incorporate your personal values and career aspirations. It will serve as a visual representation of how your skills and interests align with the justice field. Alongside the design, you will provide a reflective narrative explaining your choices and how your understanding of the sector will shape your future learning and professional practice.

3. Exam - This assessment involves responding to a series of scenarios and research-based problems through both short and long answer questions. The exam will test your ability to apply your knowledge of the justice sector to real-world problems, demonstrating your understanding of key concepts, challenges, and trends.

Unit Grading Scheme

7- point scale

Assessment Tasks

Assessment: Research log

You will assume the role of a Justice professional working in an organisation that is producing a report on some of the challenges in the justice sector. You have been asked to gather research based on one of these challenges and create a research log for the organisation.

The use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools is allowed to help you study and find out more about the topic; noting AI-generated content may not be accurate, reliable, or may display bias. Any content generated may not be copied and included in your final submission.

This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.

Weight: 20
Length: 500-600 words
Individual/Group: Individual
Due (indicative): Week 5
Related Unit learning outcomes: 1

Assessment: Digital Poster

You will design a digital poster that presents your imagined professional self working in a justice sector. You will draw on research into the roles of workers in the justice sector, including relevant skills, structures, trends, challenges, opportunities and sustainability. You will combine this with your personal values and interests within the justice sector to visualise your future self in the digital poster.

You will reflect on what you have learnt about the justice sectors and your own personal values, and how these align to inform your future learning and professional practice.

The use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools is allowed to help you study and find out more about the topic; noting AI-generated content may not be accurate, reliable, or may display bias. Any content generated may not be copied and included in your final submission.

This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.

Weight: 40
Length: 1000 words or equivalent
Individual/Group: Individual
Due (indicative): Week 8
Related Unit learning outcomes: 1, 2, 3

Assessment: Exam

You will respond to a series of scenarios and research problems through a combination of short and long answer questions.

Weight: 40
Individual/Group: Individual
Due (indicative): During central examination period
Central exam duration: 2:10 - Including 30 minute perusal
Related Unit learning outcomes: 2, 4

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a commitment to undertaking academic work and assessment in a manner that is ethical, fair, honest, respectful and accountable.

The Academic Integrity Policy sets out the range of conduct that can be a failure to maintain the standards of academic integrity. This includes, cheating in exams, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion and contract cheating. It also includes providing fraudulent or altered documentation in support of an academic concession application, for example an assignment extension or a deferred exam.

You are encouraged to make use of QUT’s learning support services, resources and tools to assure the academic integrity of your assessment. This includes the use of text matching software that may be available to assist with self-assessing your academic integrity as part of the assessment submission process.

Breaching QUT’s Academic Integrity Policy or engaging in conduct that may defeat or compromise the purpose of assessment can lead to a finding of student misconduct (Code of Conduct – Student) and result in the imposition of penalties under the Management of Student Misconduct Policy, ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.

Resources

There are no resources that are required to be purchased for this unit. Resources will be available in the unit's Canvas site.

Risk Assessment Statement

Students are advised that some content in justice units may be confronting. If you are concerned that the content of a unit may impact your completion of the course, please see the unit coordinator. You can also access free student counselling through QUT Counselling via the QUT Student Homepage.

Course Learning Outcomes

This unit is designed to support your development of the following course/study area learning outcomes.

JS34 Bachelor of Justice

  1. Apply social and criminal justice principles to explain justice issues and contexts.
    Relates to: ULO2, ULO4, Digital Poster, Exam
  2. Collect and analyse evidence to inform decisions and recommendations in justice systems.
    Relates to: ULO1, Research log, Digital Poster
  3. Assess technologies and their impacts on social and justice sectors.
    Relates to: ULO2, Digital Poster, Exam
  4. Reflect on personal values and professional practice to articulate a professional identity.
    Relates to: ULO3, Digital Poster