Restorative justice has emerged in recent years as a new way of thinking about how we should view and respond to crime. Restorative approaches are making significant inroads into criminal justice policy and practice, and this module provides students with an opportunity to engage in an increasingly dynamic and interesting field in (and beyond) contemporary criminal justice. The main aim of this module is to provide students with a critical understanding of restorative justice in theory and practice. The first part of the module (Theories) explores key values, issues and debates in restorative justice set in the context of theoretical arguments and criminal justice policy and practice. The second part of the module (Practices) equips students with hands-on skills to analyse and respond restoratively to micro-social conflicts and harms using a learning-by-doing approach.
Lectures 16 hours, Seminars 16 hours
Essay (1500 words) worth 50% of the total marks for the module
Role Play (20 minutes) worth 50% of the total marks for the module- This Assessment is Pass Compulsory.
Reassessment Method: Single instrument: 100% Written Assessment (1,500 words, )
For reading lists see the detailed module information on moodle
On successfully completing the module, students will be able to:
1. Critically assess restorative justice as an approach to social conflicts and harms from a national and international perspective.
2. Critically evaluate theoretically and empirically based arguments about restorative justice.
3. Critically assess the links between restorative justice and traditional justice systems
4. Critically appraise the key methodologies for the analysis of micro-social conflicts and harms, communication, ethical standards, basic applied skills to mediate interpersonal conflicts and harms in criminal justice and community settings;
5. Apply critical conflict and harm analysis and management, transformation and resolution skills
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