Imprisonment: Key Criminological and Sociological Themes

Module title	Imprisonment: Key Criminological and Sociological Themes
Module code	CRI3007
Academic year	2025/6
Credits	15
Module staff	Professor Abi Dymond (Convenor)

Duration: Term	1	2	3
Duration: Weeks	11

Number students taking module (anticipated)	30

Module description

This module is an introduction to sociology of imprisonment and debates around it. You will be introduced to the classic texts on the lived experiences of prisoners and prison staff, as well as the more recent sociological perspectives on the prison experience. You will also have the opportunity to discuss contemporary issues and policy debates pertaining to imprisonment. This module will encourage you to question the widely accepted “boundaries” of imprisonment and consider how punishment – and imprisonment especially – reaches into many facets of social life.

Module aims - intentions of the module

This module aims to provide you with an introductory knowledge of prison sociology and the broader literature. It aims to teach you what the prison experience entails, but also to think more broadly and question accepted academic perceptions of imprisonment and punishment more generally. It will thus help develop your critical thinking skills and encourage you to engage in socio-political discussion.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

1. Demonstrate a clear and detailed understanding of the literature around imprisonment.
2. Analyze practical issues and contemporary debates of relevance to imprisonment in England and Wales.
3. Engage with a wide range of sources, including those found independently.
4. Critically engage with academic discourses about imprisonment and punishment.

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

5. Demonstrate a critical understanding of various literatures and their application to criminology.
6. Construct and present clear and detailed arguments on a specific criminology topic in writing.
7. Discuss research and policy issues.

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

8. Present an argument in writing in a clear, coherent, organized and effective manner;
9. Analyze and critically assess relevant literature

Syllabus plan

Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover some or all of the following topics:

Distinctions between imprisonment and detention, and examples of each.

Prison Discourses – how and to what extent has the nature of imprisonment changed since the 1950s?

The Prison Experience – discuss what the ‘pains of imprisonment’ are, and whether their nature has changed in the last five decades.

Society of Prisoners – consider what social life within a prison is like, and what it tells us about the effectiveness of prison as a method of punishing offenders.

The experiences of female and Black and Minority Ethnic Prisoners.

Other forms of detention, such as immigration detention.

Use of force in prison and places where people are deprived of liberty.

Monitoring and oversight of prisons and places of detention.

Beyond Prison Walls – consider how imprisonment reaches beyond prison walls, affecting ex-prisoners' lives after their have served their sentence, and affecting their families and communities.

Approaches, rationales and justifications for prison – and / or arguments for defunding and abolition.

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities	Guided independent study	Placement / study abroad
22	128	0

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Category	Hours of study time	Description
Scheduled learning and teaching activity	22	11 x 2 hours per week comprising of lectures and seminars
Guided independent Study	28	Reading assignments and preparing for the tutorials
Guided independent Study	50	Preparing for essay assignment
Guided independent Study	50	Preparation for analysis of seminar activity

Formative assessment

Form of assessment	Size of the assessment (eg length / duration)	ILOs assessed	Feedback method
Timed essay	25 minutes (equivalent to approximately 400 words)	1-9	Feedback will be given by peers, supported by the tutor; feedback given by tutor.
Essay plan	400 words	1-9	Written feedback by tutor

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Coursework	Written exams	Practical exams
100	0	0

Details of summative assessment

Form of assessment	% of credit	Size of the assessment (eg length / duration)	ILOs assessed	Feedback method
Essay	100	2,200 words	1-9	Written

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Original form of assessment	Form of re-assessment	ILOs re-assessed	Timescale for re-assessment
Essay (2,200 words)	Essay (100%)	1-9	August/September re-assessment period

Re-assessment notes

Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons judged acceptable by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be either deferred in the assessment or an extension may be granted. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.

Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 40%) you will be required to redo the assessment(s) as defined above. If you are successful on referral, your overall module mark will be capped at 40%.

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

Basic reading:

Sykes, G. (2007), The Society of Captives: A Study of a Maximum Security Prison.

Crewe, B. (2009), The Prisoner Society.

Ewald, A., and Uggen, C. (2012), 'The Collateral Effects of Imprisonment on Prisoners, Their Families, and Communities', in The Oxford Handbook of Sentencing and Corrections (ed. J. Petersilia and K. R. Reitz).

Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources

ELE –

Key words search

prison sociology, punishment, prisons

Credit value	15
Module ECTS	7.5
Module pre-requisites	None
Module co-requisites	None
NQF level (module)	6
Available as distance learning?	No
Origin date	18/02/2025
Last revision date	03/03/2025