Prisons and punishment

Prisons primary aim is to deter further offending, and improve community safety but how successful is it in fulfilling these mandates? Over the course of this unit we will consider the main theories and issues relating to contemporary imprisonment, through exploring the ‘hidden perils’ of incarceration. In many ways, prisons represent a microcosm of society itself: within its walls are those with disabilities and mental illness, older prisoners, LGBTIQ+ prisoners, indigenous prisoners and those from ethnic minorities, men and women who often share one thing in common – histories of trauma. This unit examines how these different groups of people are ‘managed’ in prison, and whether or not prison itself contributes further to trauma or conversely can lead to positive change in the lives of people passing through prison systems. 

Beyond the cost to human lives that incarceration invokes, are the enormous financial and social costs associated with maintaining and expanding prisons. This unit asks you to analyse prisons in a comparative framework as well as consider the value of the continuing popularity of prisons as the ‘sanction of choice’ proffered by our politicians and the broader community. The unit concludes by exploring what happens when people leave prison and the challenges around re-integration and re-entry in order to analyse the legacy and effect of prison for those people who have lived and/or worked within prison. This is unit you will explore the challenges and questions relating one of society’s key institutions, but also critically reflects on practices and initiatives that have at their heart the notion of human rights and positive change.