LW3PUN: Contemporary Issues in Punishment

Module code: LW3PUN

Module provider: School of Law

Credits: 20

Level: 6

When you’ll be taught: Semester 1

Module convenor: Jo Phoenix , email: j.b.m.phoenix@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2025/6

Available to visiting students: Yes

Talis reading list: No

Last updated: 3 April 2025

Overview

Module aims and purpose

The aim of this module is to explore contemporary theories, debates and issues in penology and punishment and to outline and analyse the changing social, cultural and political meaning of formal and informal modes of punishment and custodial social regulation.

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to:

1. Understand, critically assess and apply differing theoretical models of punishment
2. Access a range of and critically evaluate the uses and limitations of sources of information relating to punishment
3. Critically analyse the values and assumptions underpinning official penal policy.

Module content

Justifications for punishment, history of imprisonment, theories of imprisonment, prison populations, current issues in punishment, non custodial sentences, community punishment, capital punishment.

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

The module will be taught by a combination of weekly two-hour workshop / seminar and weekly 1 hour lecture. Students will be expected to work in small groups or individually to produce short presentation around which discussion and debate can take place.  Lectures will provide students with the relevant theoretical or methodological input to help them approach their reading and the seminars. Online sessions will provide support for their assessment as well as other materials to support their learning.

Study hours

At least 32 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

Students need to achieve an overall module mark of 40% to pass this module.

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

Assessments with numerical marks

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of three working days;
• the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three working days of the deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: /cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

Reassessment

Additional costs