JSB207 Punishment and Penal Policy
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 code: | JSB207 |
|---|---|
| Prerequisite(s): | 96 Credit Points of Completed Study |
| Equivalent(s): | JSB373 |
| Credit points: | 12 |
| Timetable | Details in HiQ, if available |
| Availabilities |
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| CSP student contribution | $2,124 |
| Pre-2021 CSP student contribution | $996 The pre-2021 commonwealth supported place (CSP) contribution amount only applies to students enrolled in a course prior to 2021. To learn more, visit our Understanding your fees page. |
| Domestic tuition unit fee | $3,204 |
| International unit fee | $4,572 |
Unit Outline: Semester 2 2025, Kelvin Grove, Internal
| Unit code: | JSB207 |
|---|---|
| Credit points: | 12 |
| Pre-requisite: | 96 credit points of study |
| Equivalent: | JSB373 |
| Coordinator: | Bridget Weir | bridget.weir@qut.edu.au |
Overview
This unit critically examines the development of punishment across historical and global contexts, exploring the philosophical, ideological, and theoretical foundations of penal systems. You will analyse dominant approaches to crime and justice alongside culturally diverse and alternative responses, including restorative and community-led practices.
Through case studies and media analysis, the unit investigates how public narratives and representations shape attitudes toward punishment. You will deconstruct key theories influencing penal policy and evaluate the potential of justice alternatives to challenge punitive norms. Emphasis is placed on developing research-informed, professional communication using appropriate academic conventions.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:
- Analyse the philosophical, ideological and theoretical evolution of systems of punishment in Australian and global contexts (CLO 1.1, 1.2, 1.3)
- Critically examine social and cultural narratives underpinning the portrayal of punishment within contemporary media and evaluate the role of the media in shaping attitudes to punishment CLOs 4.2, 5.1, 5.3, 6.1))
- Evaluate the affordances of culturally diverse systems and types of punishment in historical and global contexts (CLOs 1.2, 4.2, 6.1, 6.2, 6.3)
- Deconstruct the dominant theoretical paradigms influencing the development of policy responses to crime and the administration of punishment (CLOs 4.2, 5.1)
- Communicate in academic and professional formats using appropriate language, research skills and referencing (CLOs 3.1, 3.2, 4.1)
Content
The major topics to be covered in this course include:
- Introduction: the principles and practices of punishment
- History of the development of the prison
- Punishment in contemporary Australia
- The prison industrial complex: critical perspectives on punishment as social control
- Privatising punishment: the rise of private contracting of penal services
- The prisoners' perspective: inmate research and writing on the prison experience
- Are prisons effective? A critical discussion of the key goals of prison and punishment
- The punitive turn? The rise of shaming punishment in the contemporary moment
- The rise of the community? Restorative justice and the new modes of punishment
- Punishment in the extreme? The arguments for and against the death penalty.
Learning Approaches
This unit will be offered to both internal and online students. Internal students would have a two-hour workshop weekly. Online will have sessions on Canvas Collaborate Ultra during the Semester, in addition to online access to weekly workshops.
The workshops and Collaborate sessions will acquaint students with the theory, context and pertinent information behind each topic and will assist in clarifying and reflecting on the materials presented, as well as affording an opportunity for critical analysis of each topic. Assessment items will promote the student's ability to develop the knowledge and key skills required to pursue a career in the penal policy field, academia and related sectors, such as social work and youth work.
Feedback on Learning and Assessment
Students will receive feedback in various forms throughout the semester, which may include:
- informal: worked examples, such as verbal feedback in class, personal consultation
- formal: in writing, e.g. criteria sheets, written commentary
- direct: to individual students, either in written form or in consultation
- indirect: to the whole class.
Assessment
Overview
The assessment for this unit is both formative (you will be provided with either written or verbal feedback for written assignments) and summative (each piece of assessment will receive a mark that will contribute to the final grade).
Unit Grading Scheme
7- point scale
Assessment Tasks
Assessment: Media Critique
Select a recent media report that addresses a contemporary issue relating to punishment, justice, or social harm. Critically analyse how the article frames the issue, including its underlying cultural assumptions, ideological positioning, and engagement strategies. Drawing on theories and concepts from the unit, deconstruct how the article reflects or reinforces dominant paradigms of justice and punishment. You will then propose an alternative way of understanding or responding to the issue. Consider the implications of this alternative in contrast with the article’s narrative.
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 is an assignment for the purposes of an extension.
Assessment: Report
In this assessment, you will write a 1500-word critical report examining a significant issue in punishment and penal policy in Australia. You will focus on one topic—such as punishment and race, gender, or poverty—and analyse how it is shaped by different punishment systems and theoretical approaches. Drawing on scholarly literature and current data, you will compare two systems of punishment (one from Queensland and one from another jurisdiction), evaluating their effectiveness and cultural/social implications. You will then develop a well-reasoned recommendation for how Queensland might improve its penal response, applying relevant penal theory to justify your proposed reform.
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 is an assignment for the purposes of an extension.
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
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.
Unit Outline: Semester 2 2025, Online
| Unit code: | JSB207 |
|---|---|
| Credit points: | 12 |
| Pre-requisite: | 96 credit points of study |
| Equivalent: | JSB373 |
Overview
This unit critically examines the development of punishment across historical and global contexts, exploring the philosophical, ideological, and theoretical foundations of penal systems. You will analyse dominant approaches to crime and justice alongside culturally diverse and alternative responses, including restorative and community-led practices.
Through case studies and media analysis, the unit investigates how public narratives and representations shape attitudes toward punishment. You will deconstruct key theories influencing penal policy and evaluate the potential of justice alternatives to challenge punitive norms. Emphasis is placed on developing research-informed, professional communication using appropriate academic conventions.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:
- Analyse the philosophical, ideological and theoretical evolution of systems of punishment in Australian and global contexts (CLO 1.1, 1.2, 1.3)
- Critically examine social and cultural narratives underpinning the portrayal of punishment within contemporary media and evaluate the role of the media in shaping attitudes to punishment CLOs 4.2, 5.1, 5.3, 6.1))
- Evaluate the affordances of culturally diverse systems and types of punishment in historical and global contexts (CLOs 1.2, 4.2, 6.1, 6.2, 6.3)
- Deconstruct the dominant theoretical paradigms influencing the development of policy responses to crime and the administration of punishment (CLOs 4.2, 5.1)
- Communicate in academic and professional formats using appropriate language, research skills and referencing (CLOs 3.1, 3.2, 4.1)
Content
The major topics to be covered in this course include:
- Introduction: the principles and practices of punishment
- History of the development of the prison
- Punishment in contemporary Australia
- The prison industrial complex: critical perspectives on punishment as social control
- Privatising punishment: the rise of private contracting of penal services
- The prisoners' perspective: inmate research and writing on the prison experience
- Are prisons effective? A critical discussion of the key goals of prison and punishment
- The punitive turn? The rise of shaming punishment in the contemporary moment
- The rise of the community? Restorative justice and the new modes of punishment
- Punishment in the extreme? The arguments for and against the death penalty.
Learning Approaches
This unit will be offered to both internal and online students. Internal students would have a two-hour workshop weekly. Online will have sessions on Canvas Collaborate Ultra during the Semester, in addition to online access to weekly workshops.
The workshops and Collaborate sessions will acquaint students with the theory, context and pertinent information behind each topic and will assist in clarifying and reflecting on the materials presented, as well as affording an opportunity for critical analysis of each topic. Assessment items will promote the student's ability to develop the knowledge and key skills required to pursue a career in the penal policy field, academia and related sectors, such as social work and youth work.
Feedback on Learning and Assessment
Students will receive feedback in various forms throughout the semester, which may include:
- informal: worked examples, such as verbal feedback in class, personal consultation
- formal: in writing, e.g. criteria sheets, written commentary
- direct: to individual students, either in written form or in consultation
- indirect: to the whole class.
Assessment
Overview
The assessment for this unit is both formative (you will be provided with either written or verbal feedback for written assignments) and summative (each piece of assessment will receive a mark that will contribute to the final grade).
Unit Grading Scheme
7- point scale
Assessment Tasks
Assessment: Media Critique
Select a recent media report that addresses a contemporary issue relating to punishment, justice, or social harm. Critically analyse how the article frames the issue, including its underlying cultural assumptions, ideological positioning, and engagement strategies. Drawing on theories and concepts from the unit, deconstruct how the article reflects or reinforces dominant paradigms of justice and punishment. You will then propose an alternative way of understanding or responding to the issue. Consider the implications of this alternative in contrast with the article’s narrative.
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 is an assignment for the purposes of an extension.
Assessment: Report
In this assessment, you will write a 1500-word critical report examining a significant issue in punishment and penal policy in Australia. You will focus on one topic—such as punishment and race, gender, or poverty—and analyse how it is shaped by different punishment systems and theoretical approaches. Drawing on scholarly literature and current data, you will compare two systems of punishment (one from Queensland and one from another jurisdiction), evaluating their effectiveness and cultural/social implications. You will then develop a well-reasoned recommendation for how Queensland might improve its penal response, applying relevant penal theory to justify your proposed reform.
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 is an assignment for the purposes of an extension.
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
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.