Assessment Outline

This 2,500-word essay assignment 1 is based on part 1 of the module (please refer to the module lecture schedule on Brightspace or in the module handbook). It is worth 40% of the module mark.

Essay Question:

Analyse if the introduction of prison units for transgender prisoners can help reduce problems associated with the Penal Crisis?

Assessment criteria

How to meet the outcomes/criteria

This assignment addresses the following module learning outcomes (LOC):

The essay question and topic options are designed to ensure that you meet the learning outcomes. So it is important that in this assignment that you:

· Stay focussed on what is asked of you.

· Answer the question fully and thoroughly, drawing on strong quality academic and/or authoritative sources.

· Ensure you are critical of the issues by:

o considering different theoretical or ideological perspectives (e.g. pluralist v orthodox, or political view points);

o considering a range of evidence of effectiveness to consider pros and cons/strengths and weaknesses;

o considering the likely implications/future of the estate (or part of the estate you are discussing for your topic).

LOC1: Critically discuss the structure, aims and practices of penal institutions in England and Wales.

This learning outcome specifically asks for you to show that you can critique the way in which the system is structured/organised and works to achieve particular aims of the system.

Here, you do not have to set out the entire penal system, only that part related to the topic you choose to answer the question about. I am looking for you be able to explain how that bit of the system works and the issues of concern or advantage around it (using both theoretical perspectives on the strengths and weaknesses as well as research or official data evidence). Where there is little research/data evidence on effectiveness in England and Wales (normally because we have not yet implemented the idea, or only have done so in a limited fashion, or very recently), then you can draw on the experience of other countries to consider critically if this would work in our system – bearing in mind that the country may be different culturally (and around ideas of what is justice) and also in terms of their criminal justice system structures.

Criticality here is about critiquing if things work or not to reduce the penal crisis in key ways (it may be that it helps in some ways, but not others). This critique is based on theoretical arguments and perspectives as well as research evidence. You need both for this level of study.

LOC4: Critically consider likely futures for key penal institutions and measures

This learning outcome specifically asks you to write about the likely futures of the system in respect to the topic you have chosen. By this, what I am looking for is for you to use the research evidence or official data relating to the topic to consider if it can in the future help address the penal crisis in some way – what impact on the penal system and penal crisis would doing this, implementing it, or going further in that direction have?

Again, the criticality here is important for this level of study and as before we are seeking that criticality through considering different interpretations and perspectives on the data or theory related to the topic you have chosen to write about, and supporting your work well.