JSB398 First Nations (In)Justice
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: | JSB398 |
|---|---|
| Prerequisite(s): | 144cp of completed study |
| Equivalent(s): | JSB281 |
| Credit points: | 12 |
| Timetable | Details in HiQ, if available |
| Availabilities |
|
| CSP student contribution | $2,174 |
| Pre-2021 CSP student contribution | $1,020 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 | $3,456 |
| International unit fee | $5,592 |
Unit Outline: Semester 2 2026, Kelvin Grove, Internal
| Unit code: | JSB398 |
|---|---|
| Credit points: | 12 |
| Pre-requisite: | 144cp of completed study |
| Equivalent: | JSB281 |
| Coordinator: | Christopher Emzin | ca.emzin@qut.edu.au |
Overview
Over-representation of First Nations people in the criminal justice system has been called a national disgrace. The criminal justice system has been developed over time from a combination of government-driven actions and policies targeted at First Nations people. The contemporary criminal justice system is a combination of government and non-government agencies that present both challenges and opportunities for addressing over-representation of First Nations people. This unit will explore colonial history and the impact of crime and policing policy on First Nations people. It will also examine ways to work effectively and in culturally safe ways with First Nations communities to achieve justice.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:
- Research and critique how policies, the criminal justice system and government-driven actions have impacted on First Nations people.
- Identify and examine contemporary issues in the criminal justice system from First Nations people’s perspectives.
- Analyse the challenges and opportunities arising from contemporary and complex interactions of government and non-government agencies within the criminal justice system.
- Apply culturally safe strategies and First Nations community protocols to plan ways for working effectively with First Nations communities.
- Collaborate with interdisplinary stakeholders to create operational plans addressing contemporary issues affecting First Nations communities.
Content
This unit will cover the following:
- How policies, the criminal justice system and government-driven actions have impacted on First Nations people and other related communities
- History
- Cultural competency
- Other systems and approaches to justice – restorative justice to build sustainable communities and promote inclusive justice for all
- De-colonisation
- The variety of systems that First Nations people have been in touch with before arriving in the criminal justice system
- Some systems have been developed to try and address some of the challenges
- The challenges of the criminal justice system exacerbated for First Nations peoples
- Complex systems
- Evaluate historical policies in terms of addressing the purpose of the criminal justice system
- Evaluate how modern policies address the purpose of criminal justice system
- Empowering communities to find solutions to their problems
- Community justice innovations and entrepreneurial thinking
- Examine justice systems and practices
Learning Approaches
In this unit you will learn by engaging in the following:
- lectures (live and recorded)
- tutorials (on-campus and online)
- online learning materials
- peer and group discussions
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
- feedback from peers as you investigate and discuss issues raised throughout the unit
- comments about summative assessment work included with your grade
- general summative assessment feedback posted to the whole cohort via the unit Canvas site.
Assessment
Overview
In this unit there are two assessments:
1. Law and Policy Critique - This task draws on the history of colonial impact on First Nations communities to analyse the policy and laws developed by government targeting First Nations people.
2. Operational Plan - This task brings together knowledge of government and non-government agencies in the criminal justice system, cultural safety and First Nations community protocols to develop an operational plan in response to a given scenario.
Unit Grading Scheme
7- point scale
Assessment Tasks
Assessment: Law and policy critique
You will analyse criminal laws and policies targeting First Nations people. Examine how these laws were purported to serve the purposes of the criminal justice system, the circumstances leading to their implementation and how they have impacted on First Nations people.
You will need to explore the government and non-government agencies who are stakeholders and analyse the challenges and opportunities of working in this complex system.
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.
Assessment: Operational Plan
Building on Assessment 1, you will work with peers in small groups to take on the role of an interdisciplinary team developing and presenting an operational plan to address a contemporary issue affecting First Nations communities. Your plan will include culturally safe strategies and considerations of community protocols to implement in your engagement with the community. Your plan should evidence relevant policies, government reports and academic literature.
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.
You will present your plan and respond to questions in a designated time period.
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
During this unit, you will discuss sensitive topics with your peers that may have significant impact and meaning to you, your peers and/or your teaching team. The teaching team will aim to create a supportive and safe environment for all students enrolled in the unit. They will also support you to develop the appropriate skills to engage in these conversations in an appropriate and respectful manner to ensure a positive experience for all students. 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.
There may be opportunities to undertake field trips as part of this unit. In the event that you participate in a field trip, further details of any associated risks will be communicated.
Course Learning Outcomes
This unit is designed to support your development of the following course/study area learning outcomes.JS34 Bachelor of Justice
- Apply social and criminal justice principles to explain justice issues and contexts.
Relates to: ULO1, ULO2, ULO3, Law and policy critique, Operational Plan - Collect and analyse evidence to inform decisions and recommendations in justice systems.
Relates to: ULO1, ULO5, Law and policy critique, Operational Plan - Apply culturally safe and inclusive approaches to work with diverse communities and people as a Justice professional.
Relates to: ULO4, Operational Plan - Communicate justice and social issues in respectful, professional and ethical ways with other professionals and stakeholders.
Relates to: ULO4, Operational Plan - Facilitate discussions and collaborate with stakeholders in the justice sector.
Relates to: ULO5, Operational Plan
Unit Outline: Semester 2 2026, Online
| Unit code: | JSB398 |
|---|---|
| Credit points: | 12 |
| Pre-requisite: | 144cp of completed study |
| Equivalent: | JSB281 |
Overview
Over-representation of First Nations people in the criminal justice system has been called a national disgrace. The criminal justice system has been developed over time from a combination of government-driven actions and policies targeted at First Nations people. The contemporary criminal justice system is a combination of government and non-government agencies that present both challenges and opportunities for addressing over-representation of First Nations people. This unit will explore colonial history and the impact of crime and policing policy on First Nations people. It will also examine ways to work effectively and in culturally safe ways with First Nations communities to achieve justice.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:
- Research and critique how policies, the criminal justice system and government-driven actions have impacted on First Nations people.
- Identify and examine contemporary issues in the criminal justice system from First Nations people’s perspectives.
- Analyse the challenges and opportunities arising from contemporary and complex interactions of government and non-government agencies within the criminal justice system.
- Apply culturally safe strategies and First Nations community protocols to plan ways for working effectively with First Nations communities.
- Collaborate with interdisplinary stakeholders to create operational plans addressing contemporary issues affecting First Nations communities.
Content
This unit will cover the following:
- How policies, the criminal justice system and government-driven actions have impacted on First Nations people and other related communities
- History
- Cultural competency
- Other systems and approaches to justice – restorative justice to build sustainable communities and promote inclusive justice for all
- De-colonisation
- The variety of systems that First Nations people have been in touch with before arriving in the criminal justice system
- Some systems have been developed to try and address some of the challenges
- The challenges of the criminal justice system exacerbated for First Nations peoples
- Complex systems
- Evaluate historical policies in terms of addressing the purpose of the criminal justice system
- Evaluate how modern policies address the purpose of criminal justice system
- Empowering communities to find solutions to their problems
- Community justice innovations and entrepreneurial thinking
- Examine justice systems and practices
Learning Approaches
In this unit you will learn by engaging in the following:
- lectures (live and recorded)
- tutorials (on-campus and online)
- online learning materials
- peer and group discussions
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
- feedback from peers as you investigate and discuss issues raised throughout the unit
- comments about summative assessment work included with your grade
- general summative assessment feedback posted to the whole cohort via the unit Canvas site.
Assessment
Overview
In this unit there are two assessments:
1. Law and Policy Critique - This task draws on the history of colonial impact on First Nations communities to analyse the policy and laws developed by government targeting First Nations people.
2. Operational Plan - This task brings together knowledge of government and non-government agencies in the criminal justice system, cultural safety and First Nations community protocols to develop an operational plan in response to a given scenario.
Unit Grading Scheme
7- point scale
Assessment Tasks
Assessment: Law and policy critique
You will analyse criminal laws and policies targeting First Nations people. Examine how these laws were purported to serve the purposes of the criminal justice system, the circumstances leading to their implementation and how they have impacted on First Nations people.
You will need to explore the government and non-government agencies who are stakeholders and analyse the challenges and opportunities of working in this complex system.
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.
Assessment: Operational Plan
Building on Assessment 1, you will work with peers in small groups to take on the role of an interdisciplinary team developing and presenting an operational plan to address a contemporary issue affecting First Nations communities. Your plan will include culturally safe strategies and considerations of community protocols to implement in your engagement with the community. Your plan should evidence relevant policies, government reports and academic literature.
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.
You will present your plan and respond to questions in a designated time period.
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
During this unit, you will discuss sensitive topics with your peers that may have significant impact and meaning to you, your peers and/or your teaching team. The teaching team will aim to create a supportive and safe environment for all students enrolled in the unit. They will also support you to develop the appropriate skills to engage in these conversations in an appropriate and respectful manner to ensure a positive experience for all students. 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.
There may be opportunities to undertake field trips as part of this unit. In the event that you participate in a field trip, further details of any associated risks will be communicated.
Course Learning Outcomes
This unit is designed to support your development of the following course/study area learning outcomes.JS34 Bachelor of Justice
- Apply social and criminal justice principles to explain justice issues and contexts.
Relates to: ULO1, ULO2, ULO3, Law and policy critique, Operational Plan - Collect and analyse evidence to inform decisions and recommendations in justice systems.
Relates to: ULO1, ULO5, Law and policy critique, Operational Plan - Apply culturally safe and inclusive approaches to work with diverse communities and people as a Justice professional.
Relates to: ULO4, Operational Plan - Communicate justice and social issues in respectful, professional and ethical ways with other professionals and stakeholders.
Relates to: ULO4, Operational Plan - Facilitate discussions and collaborate with stakeholders in the justice sector.
Relates to: ULO5, Operational Plan