This Course Guide has been taken from the most recent presentation of the course. It would be useful for reference purposes but please note that there may be updates for the following presentation.
LESM A305
Major Issues in Criminology and Penology
Welcome to LESM A305 Major Issues in Criminology and Penology.
This is a two-semester, ten-credit course for Hong Kong Metropolitan University (HKMU) students of the Law Enforcement and Security Management Programme. Other students who are interested in understanding more about crime and criminals, and the politics of crime control and punishment, may also find this course fascinating.
LESM A305 Major Issues in Criminology and Penology is composed of two parts. The first part contains the first six units of the course. This part mainly focuses on criminology, or the study of crime. These units examine the major theoretical traditions and perspectives in criminology and evaluate their relevance to the understanding of criminality in society. The second part is made up of the remaining four units. It focuses on penology, or the study of punishment, examining the principles and treatments of offenders. Our discussions of penology will introduce you to some of the issues and debates regarding the ways we try to manage and control, if not eradicate, criminal behaviour. You will look into a number of interesting topics including the principles of modern corrections, the philosophy and practice of offender management, actuarial justice, issues related to the accountability and legitimacy of crime management, and the influence of modern technology on offender management. Throughout the course, we will also look into the relevance of the issues and debates to Hong Kong.
In sum, this course aims at examining critically the past and present so as to find out how we can more effectively address issues arising from the management of crime and criminals. Towards the end of the course, you will likely come to see that there is no single best method or 'golden theory' to handle crime and criminals.
To facilitate your learning, in addition to the study units, there is a set textbook for this course, and throughout the units a number of articles or other reading materials will be provided. Aside from these core reading materials, you are encouraged to read some of the optional texts which will be recommended in the units. The study units include activities and self-tests (relax -- these opportunities for self-assessment do not count towards your final score, but they will certainly help!). So be prepared to commit yourself by devoting your precious time and effort to studying this course!
It is likely that you may have already completed some other courses in the programme. You should therefore be well aware of the study skills required for distance learning, have developed your own study schedule and methods and be familiar with the organization of HKMU courses. This Course Guide explains briefly the scope of this course and suggests some effective ways to go through the materials. It also provides some guidelines for the amount of time you are likely to spend on each unit in order to complete the course successfully.
You will probably wish to refer to this Course Guide throughout the course to help you clarify important points about studying with the HKMU, so keep it in a convenient place. Last but not least, do remember to approach your assigned tutor and/or the Course Coordinator should you require any further advice about studying.
LESM A305 Major Issues in Criminology and Penology has been written with criminal justice and related policymakers and practitioners in mind. In this course, you will look into the study of crime, punishment and rehabilitation which will be of special interest especially to those of you who work with law enforcement agencies.
This course will introduce you to key issues that are likely to be preoccupying you in your daily work (in particular if you work in law enforcement or in the security industry), and, guided by theoretical and empirical materials, invites you to develop a deeper and more coherent understanding of criminology and penology. It encourages you not only to become more theoretically aware of the major issues and debates in criminology and penology, many of which are quite new, but also to develop the ability to draw on the knowledge gained from this course as a means of enhancing work performance and professional development.
Before starting, you should know the aims of this course and its intended learning outcomes.
Course aims
LESM A305 Major Issues in Criminology and Penology aims to:
Course learning outcomes
Upon the completion of LESM A305 Major Issues in Criminology and Penology, you should be able to:
This section gives you some basic ideas about the materials you will have, and what you may need, how the assignments and marking are arranged, and how you can organize your study more systematically and effectively.
Materials
This course is designed to assist you in moving easily from the required readings in the course materials to the assignments and the examination. There are altogether ten study units in LESM A305 Major Issues in Criminology and Penology.
The study units examine major criminological and penological perspectives and key issues, explain the relevant concepts with examples, and comment on related readings. Each unit contains activities, self-tests and/or short case studies to reinforce your learning of the issues under discussion. The assignments will give you further feedback.
The course is structured so that each unit builds on previous units, and the first part on criminology integrates with the second part on penology, guiding you to think about how we can manage crime and criminals. The following points will help you get the most out of the units.
Don't worry if you haven't received all ten units in the first mailing from HKMU. It is normal to receive your study units in several separate packages.
Study units
Read the study units carefully, as they guide your learning and will show you how to approach the assignments, which are related to the units. You must read the study units, and the set textbook and other assigned readings as indicated in the reading boxes in the study units. These materials are not alternatives. In addition, the more widely you read beyond these core reading materials, the better your appreciation and understanding of the course subject matter will be.
Set textbook
The set textbook for this course is:
Bernard, T, Snipes, J and Gerould, A (2010) Vold's Theoretical Criminology, 6th edn, New York: Oxford University Press.
Throughout the study units, references are drawn mainly from the following sources:
Maguire, M, Morgan, R and Reiner, R (eds) (2012) The Oxford Handbook of Criminology, 5th edn, Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Newburn, T (2013) Criminology, 2nd edn, New York: Routledge.
Williams III, F and McShane, M (2013) Criminological Theory, 6th edn, Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.
Online and multimedia materials
To achieve the learning outcomes, you will be encouraged to utilize multimedia tools to gain access to online materials relevant to the course. Nowadays these learning accessories, ranging from simple definitions and commentaries, articles, newspapers, e-books, etc., to interactive programmes and audio-visual learning packages, are readily available online.
Various learning activities in the study units may require you to browse listed websites to discover materials to supplement your knowledge in related fields and to engage you in the learning process.
Since available online sources and websites change rapidly, you will be expected to find the newest versions of these materials where necessary.
Readings
The ten study units include articles and chapters from books and journals that make a significant contribution to the understanding of core issues in criminology and penology. In addition, suggestions for further reading are made in these units. You should be able to obtain most of these readings from HKMU Library.
Assignment File
Details of the course's assignments are included in the Assignment File (available on the OLE), so read it carefully and read each assignment carefully when you receive it. You are required to complete your assignments and submit them via the OLE in accordance with the timetable provided in the Presentation Schedule. Your tutor will mark these assignments and return them to you as quickly as possible to provide feedback before you progress too far into the next units.
Presentation Schedule
The Presentation Schedule for LESM A305 Major Issues in Criminology and Penology is available on the OLE. It gives the dates by which your tutor must receive your assignments. You should guard against falling behind in your work. Keep a note of any difficulties you encounter as you progress through the materials, and raise them with your tutor as soon as possible. Try to have specific questions for your tutor to answer, and be specific about the material that you do not understand.
Assignments
This course carries five formal student assessment activities, i.e. the best four (out of five) assignments and a final examination. Assignments serve as the continuous assessment component of the course and contribute a total of 50% towards the overall course mark. The Assignment File containing the assignment questions and guidelines for the questions will be sent to you roughly one month before the assignment due dates.
Final examination and grading
At the end of the course you are required to take a final examination. The examination aims to test your understanding of all areas of study covered in the course. The examination will be a three-hour, closed book, written exam.
The examination counts for 50% of the total course mark.
Course marking scheme
The following table shows the mark distribution of the total course marks.
| Assessment type | Marks |
| Assignments 1–5 | Best four of five (12.5% each) = 50% of course marks |
| Final examination | 50% of course marks |
| Total | 100% of course marks |
You must obtain at least a score of 40% in the continuous assessment component and 40% on the final examination to pass the course. That is, you must pass both assessment components. The overall pass mark is 40% or higher.
The following table gives a general overview of the course structure.
| Unit | Title | Study time (weeks) | Assignment |
| 1 | Nature of criminology | 4 | |
| 2 | Classical perspective | 3 | |
| 3 | Positivist perspective | 3 | Assignment 1 |
| 4 | Social theory and criminology | 3 | |
| 5 | Sociological perspective | 4 | Assignment 2 |
| 6 | Environmental perspective | 3 | |
| 7 | Nature of punishment | 4 | Assignment 3 |
| 8 | Rehabilitation and management of offenders | 4 | |
| 9 | Prevention and management of crime | 4 | Assignment 4 |
| 10 | New penology in the modern society | 3 | Assignment 5 |
| Revision | 1 | ||
| TOTAL | 36 |
This course is not an easy one, especially if you have not studied any courses in the social sciences before. You may find it even more challenging if you hold onto static ideas about criminology and penology based on your accumulated experiences at work with offenders. As a student, you should try to open yourself up to broaden your horizons, look at old things from new angles, and appreciate the multiplicity of the perspectives you will find in this course.
This course is quite ambitious in that it tries to address, with considerable substance, both criminology and penology (that is, two disciplines at one time!), and to guide you through controversial debates about whether we should manage crime and criminals in the ways we are currently. We also look forward to what could and should be done in future. We must admit that there are no straightforward answers to these difficult questions, so the learning process will stretch your mind.
As you study this course, remember that nowadays we all have access to the Internet, which provides you with many very useful sources of information. Try to utilize it -- you may find yourself fascinated by the information available. You should also complete all the readings assigned in the reading boxes in the study units, which include readings from the set textbook and articles and chapters from books and journals that will be included at the back of the study units. If you encounter any difficulties, your tutor is prepared to assist you in your learning.
Tutors
Tutors are available to provide assistance during formal tutorials. However, your tutor is also available for telephone consultation during selected hours. Do not hesitate to contact him/her by calling him/her up if you need help. The following might be some typical circumstances in which you would find help necessary. Contact your tutor if:
Tutorials
There will be ten two-hour tutorial sessions for LESM A305. The topics for discussion are set out in the following table.
| Tutorial topics | Related unit | |
| 1 | Nature of criminology | 1 |
| 2 | Classical perspective | 2 |
| 3 | Positivist perspective | 3 |
| 4 | Social theory and criminology | 4 |
| 5 | Sociological perspective | 5 |
| 6 | Environmental perspective | 6 |
| 7 | Nature of punishment | 7 |
| 8 | Rehabilitation and management of offenders | 8 |
| 9 | Prevention and management of crime | 9 |
| 10 | New penology in the modern society | 10 |
Hopefully, you will be able to reflect upon what you already know to help you learn in this course, as you come to understand better the major issues in criminology and penology. Your study should be especially relevant to your work if you are a law enforcement agent. In addition, it is hoped that the critical skills and wider perspectives this course gives you will also be useful to you as you continue your study in the Law Enforcement and Security Management programme or in other programmes. Through personal commitment in lifelong education, you will benefit from continuous self-enrichment and professional development, and your organization will be better equipped to grow and develop in step with our rapidly changing society.
(2014)
Kalwan Kwan PhD is Senior Programme Director in the College of Humanities and Law, School of Professional and Continuing Education, Hong Kong University, and also Honorary Lecturer in the Department of Sociology, HKU. He has been working in the Correctional Services Department for more than 30 years, up to the rank of acting Assistant Commissioner. During his tenure of office, he has been tasked with the supervision of offenders, penal administration and programme development. He received his Master's Degree in social work and his doctorate in criminology from the University of Hong Kong, and has been teaching criminology and criminal justice to students and practitioners for over 20 years in various universities. He has rich experience in correctional administration and connections with overseas and mainland correctional practitioners, and has attended many international conferences and seminars on offender rehabilitation and prison management. He is also active in voluntary service and serves as a committee member and on Boards of Directors for local non-governmental organizations and secondary schools. He is also an appointed expert of the Hong Kong Council for Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications.
(2003)
Robert Harris PhD is Professor in the Department of Politics and International Studies at the University of Hull, England. He has taught criminology and criminal justice to students and practitioners in the United Kingdom and internationally for over a quarter of a century and has conducted research both for Departments of State (the Home Office and the Department of Health) and for other funding bodies. He has given numerous conference papers in criminal justice, served on many national and international bodies and advised ministers on criminal policy. He has written over 70 books and articles. His books include Welfare, Power and Juvenile Justice (Tavistock 1987), Crime, Criminal Justice and the Probation Service (Routledge 1992), Probation Round the World: A Comparative Study (Routledge 1995) and Mentally Disordered Offenders (Routledge 1999). He has recently completed two books: Political Corruption: An International Approach (Routledge) and (with Amirzada Asad) Opium and Heroin Production on the Pakistan-Afghanistan Border (Ashgate). He is currently (with Jenny Moynihan) writing a teaching handbook for criminal justice practitioners.
Before joining the University of Hull in 1987, Robert Harris taught at Brunel and Leicester Universities. He has held visiting professorships and consultancies in Hong Kong, Japan and Malaysia. At the University of Hull, in addition to his academic work, Robert Harris has for many years been heavily involved in university management. He has chaired numerous committees and served as Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Senior Pro-Vice-Chancellor 1993-98.
