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Deprivation of liberty: Imprisonment and beyond

Module description

In contemporary society, people may be detained and deprived of liberty for multiple reasons. While attention often focuses on prisons, detention may occur in a wide range of other settings, many of which are not associated with criminal activity. For example, other places of detention may include immigration ‘removal’ centres, assessment and treatment units for people with autism, learning difficulties and mental health issues, as well as detention under the Mental Health Act.  This module provides you with an opportunity to study places of detention beyond the prison, as well as to explore their similarities and differences with the prison environment, and to examine cross-cutting trends and themes across multiple places of detention. 

This is a stand-alone module with no pre-requisites.

Module aims - intentions of the module

This module aims to allow students to engage with some of the key criminological, sociological and interdisciplinary concepts, critical issues and perennial debates in the study of detention. It also aims to encourage you to think more broadly and question accepted perceptions of detention more generally. It will thus help develop your critical thinking and analysis skills and encourage you to engage in socio-political discussions.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

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

• 1. Demonstrate an understanding of the literature around detention
• 2. Analyse practical issues and contemporary debates of relevance to detention in England and Wales
• 3. Engage with a range of sources, including some that are found independently.
• 4. Attempt to critically engage with academic discourses about imprisonment and detention.

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

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

• 5. Demonstrate an understanding of various literatures and their applications to criminology.
• 6. Construct and present clear 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 and organised manner;
• 9. Analyse and attempt to 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:

• Conducting research on places of detention.
• Different detention settings
• Prisons
• The pains of imprisonment and their relevance to other detention settings.
• Immigration detention.
• Detention under the Mental Health Act.
• Treatment and Assessment Units.
• Use of Force.
• Accountability, monitoring and inspection
• Abolishing detention and alternatives to detention.

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

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Formative assessment

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Details of summative assessment

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

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

• Akther, S. F., Molyneaux, E., Stuart, R., Johnson, S., Simpson, A., & Oram, S. (2019) ‘Patients' experiences of assessment and detention under mental health legislation: systematic review and qualitative meta-synthesis. BJPsych Open, 5(3).

• Bosworth, M., & Kellezi, B. (2017). Getting In, Getting Out and Getting Back: Conducting Long-term Research in Immigration Detention Centres. In S. Armstrong, J. Blaustein, & A. Henry (Eds.), Reflexivity and Criminal Justice: Intersections of Policy, Practice and Research (pp. 237-262). London: Palgrave Macmillan UK.

Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources

• ELE – College to provide hyperlink to appropriate pages
• Care Quality Commission (2020) Out of Sight – who cares? A review of restraint, seclusion and segregation for autistic people, and people with a learning disability and/or mental health condition https://www.cqc.org.uk/publications/themed-work/rssreview
• Shaw, S. (2018) Assessment of government progress in implementing the report on the welfare in detention of vulnerable persons. Available at : https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/728376/Shaw_report_2018_Final_web_accessible.pdf

Key words search

Detention, deprivation of liberty, prison, immigration detention