Punishment and Penology (L3114)
Source: https://www.sussex.ac.uk/study/modules/undergraduate/2026/106222-punishment-and-penology Parent: https://www.sussex.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/courses/business-analytics-bsc-hons
15 credits, Level 5
Spring teaching
On this module, you’ll critically examine the theory and practice of punishment. You’ll focus on England and Wales in comparison to countries in Europe, North America and Australasia.
You’ll explore different theories on the justifications and reasons behind punishment. You’ll then consider a variety of modern and historical real-world examples.
- justifications for punishment
- different penologies
- contemporary imprisonment
- women in prison
- immigration detention centres
- alternatives to imprisonment
- radical critiques, such as abolitionism.
Teaching
50%: Lecture\ 50%: Seminar\
Assessment
100%: Written assessment (Essay)\
Contact hours and workload
This module is approximately 150 hours of work. This breaks down into about 22 hours of contact time and about 128 hours of independent study. The University may make minor variations to the contact hours for operational reasons, including timetabling requirements.
We regularly review our modules to incorporate student feedback, staff expertise, as well as the latest research and teaching methodology. We’re planning to run these modules in the academic year 2026/27. However, there may be changes to these modules in response to feedback, staff availability, student demand or updates to our curriculum.
We’ll make sure to let you know of any material changes to modules at the earliest opportunity.
Courses
This module is offered on the following courses: