[2-day Short Course] Crime and Punishment

:: About the Course ::

The aim of the course is to acquaint participants with the criminal justice policy perspectives on crime and punishment and how best to respond to and reduce the problem of crime in contemporary societies. The basic questions which the course seeks to address are: is crime a “natural”, biological, psychological, sociological and legal phenomenon, or a combination of all? How do contemporary societies in general, and the criminal justice system in particular, deal with the problem of crime and disorder? What are some the best practices in the field of criminology and penology that jurisdictions might be able to emulate and adapt to meeting the needs of local communities?

This course presents a social history of the development of criminological thinking and contemporary criminological models in explaining crime, particularly sketching the influence of social sciences, on the way criminals and crimes are being viewed in our society. It also attempts to illustrate the implications of these on social/criminal policies designed to eradicate crime in society. Briefly, an illustration of how penal policies are congruent with conceptions of crime will be undertaken. But the study of crime, criminality, victimization and social policy is not dispassionate; it is inextricably linked to notions of social order and social control stemming from a particular historical, political and social context.

At the end of the course, participants will be able to:

• Appreciate the contemporary developments, initiatives and debates in the criminal justice arena through citations and understandings of both conceptual and empirical work in the area of criminological and criminal justice research, policy, and practice.
• Appreciate the theories of crime and punishment, and how the body of criminological research has had impacted the development of applied criminal justice practices both locally and internationally.
• Develop the skills-sets and knowledge-base of practitioners in the criminal justice system and related social control institutions like Boys/Girls’ Home, juvenile institutions, family service centres to craft out policies and programmes that will serve to prevent and deter crime, as well as rehabilitate and reintegrate offenders.
• Appreciate the criminology-criminal justice nexus by adopting and adapting best practices in the arena of criminal justice and general social control to meeting the needs of Singapore society.

Who Should Attend?

This course is targeted at all helping professionals in the criminal justice system and anyone who has an interest in issues relating to crime, deviance and criminal justice.

How to Register?
Registration is now closed.