#LA-04-13 Incarceration: Are Prisons a Suitable Punishment?
About Course
University of LeedsDescription
Explore the ethics of imprisonment and identify prison alternatives
England and Wales have the highest incarceration rate in Western Europe. Almost a quarter of these prisoners are held in overcrowded prisons. On this course, you will take a look inside the prisons of England and Wales.
You will consider the role of imprisonment as a form of punishment, and hear from ex-prisoners about their experience of being incarcerated. Through case studies, you will explore the challenges faced by the current prison system. You will identify alternative methods of punishment and rehabilitation, and learn about the debates that exist within the criminal justice system.
Who will you learn with?
Richard Peake
After serving 23 years in the RAF, I gained a 1st class degree in Criminology, before completing a PhD and have been a lecturer in Criminology & Criminal Justice at Leeds University since 2006.
Who developed the course?
University of Leeds
As one of the UK’s largest research-based universities, the University of Leeds is a member of the prestigious Russell Group and a centre of excellence for teaching.
What Will I Learn?
- Explore the role of imprisonment as a mechanism of punishment, its legitimacy and ethical standpoint and identify its aims.
- Discuss how prisoners should be treated and what ethical considerations should be considered in deciding physical conditions of custody.
- Identify issues within the prison system, including overcrowding, drug misuse and safety.
- Compare different prison systems and evaluate which might be most effective and the most ethically sound.
- Explain the concept of rehabilitation in both changing the individual and its wider role of crime reduction.
- Explore alternative punishments to imprisonment, their effectiveness and discuss if these are ethically more acceptable than custody.
- Reflect on how custody and alternative forms of punishment are utilised with the overall aim of reducing crime.
Topics for this course
Welcome
Welcome to the course
Introduction from Richard00:02:52
Does breaking the law always result in prison?
The prison system: problems and solutions
The experience of imprisonment
I really enjoyed this course. The material was interesting and it was presented in a very engaging way. Good variety of input types, with some particularly great video materials. The course is well paced and deals with ethical debates very well. Would highly recommend.
Fantastic course!So interesting, informative and thought provoking but put in a simple way. So many interesting references. The best parts were the interviews with people who have been involved in the system - their perspectives were invaluable. Highly recommend this course to all, as it gives critical insights into an integral part of our society which is sadly overlooked.
I found this course very educational and thought-provoking. Most important materials were presented in a manner that was respectful to all learners and allowed for a very wide range of feedback and insight. This course is worth the time and investment. Thank you.
Having worked for 20 years in the Prison Service I was interested to find out more about non custodial sentences. To be honest, the course content has changed my opinion of their effectiveness.