Policing and Offending

This unit introduces students to the history, sociology, and politics of policing and corrections. The unit examines the administration of justice from the reporting and detection of crime through to the correctional regimes of offenders. It highlights important debates around issues of accountability, and traces the historical shape of policing and corrections that have led to the features and characteristics of contemporary institutions and practices. In addition to exploring the domain of policy, we focus on a number of key challenges and issues that confront police and corrections officers in their day to day working lives. The unit is underpinned by an interest in questions around balancing the power of the state, identifying the rights and protections afforded citizens through the ‘rule of law’ and democratic safeguards, and exploring the powers that are exercised in the processes of investigating crime and sanctioning individuals.