From Crime to Punishment: an Introduction to Criminal Justice

Go to class
Write Review

Free Online Course: From Crime to Punishment: an Introduction to Criminal Justice provided by FutureLearn is a comprehensive online course, which lasts for 4 weeks long, 4 hours a week. The course is taught in English and is free of charge. Upon completion of the course, you can receive an e-certificate from FutureLearn. From Crime to Punishment: an Introduction to Criminal Justice is taught by Ben Fitzpatrick.

Overview
  • What happens when a crime is allegedly committed in England and Wales? Now’s your chance to find out. On this course you’ll follow a suspect through the journey of investigation, prosecution and adjudication. You’ll step inside the courtroom - discovering how criminal justice processes work - and learn about the criminal law and key institutions like the police and the courts.

    This course is aimed at those with a good secondary education and an interest in law and/or criminal justice. The level is undergraduate level 1, so equivalent to the first year of a degree course. You do not need any prior knowledge of the field, but a keen interest in criminal justice is essential.

Syllabus
    • The idea of 'crime'
      • Introduction
      • Defining 'crime'
      • What should be a crime?
      • Representations of crime
      • How much crime?
      • Quiz of the week
      • Meet Joe: introducing our case study
    • Investigation and prosecution
      • Welcome to Week 2
      • Joe's story: the next chapter
      • Police and suspects
      • Who wants what in criminal justice?
      • The prosecution process
      • Test of weeks 1 and 2
      • What next for Joe?
    • The trial
      • Welcome to Week 3
      • Joe's story continues
      • What are trials for?
      • Juries: further thoughts
      • The criminal law: liability when there is more than one offender
      • Quiz of the week
      • What next for Joe?
    • Sentencing and post-conviction
      • Welcome to Week 4
      • The next chapter in Joe's story
      • Purposes of sentencing: desert and deterrence
      • Purposes of sentencing: rehabilitation
      • Sentencing: law, guidelines and practice
      • Sentencing Joe
      • Alternative approaches: restorative justice
      • Test of Weeks 3 and 4
      • What next for Joe?