Working in Corrections and Youth Justice
Duration
- One Semester
Contact hours
- 36 Hours
On-campus unit delivery combines face-to-face and digital learning. For Online unit delivery, learning is conducted exclusively online.
Aims and objectives
This unit develops students’ awareness of the issues associated with working in correctional and youth justice settings, particularly the tension between custodial and therapeutic practices, which can interfere with role effectiveness and desired outcomes. The unit will assist students to understand the impact of the correctional environment when working with offenders and will enhance their skills to identify effective systemic and clinical responses to assessing, treating and managing mental health issues within coercive environments.
Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:
1. Critique the purpose of correctional responses to crime in modern Western societies
2. Assess systemic factors in coercive environments that can contribute to different kinds of challenging behaviours
3. Discuss the shared and divergent goals of forensic mental health and offender rehabilitation services in correctional settings
4. Articulate advanced understanding of ethical dilemmas that arise when working clinically in a coercive environment
5. Appraise the utility of different approaches to managing and treating mental health concerns in correctional and youth detention settings
Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:
1. Critique the purpose of correctional responses to crime in modern Western societies
2. Assess systemic factors in coercive environments that can contribute to different kinds of challenging behaviours
3. Discuss the shared and divergent goals of forensic mental health and offender rehabilitation services in correctional settings
4. Articulate advanced understanding of ethical dilemmas that arise when working clinically in a coercive environment
5. Appraise the utility of different approaches to managing and treating mental health concerns in correctional and youth detention settings
Courses with unit
GD-FBS Graduate Diploma of Forensic Behavioural ScienceGC-FBS Graduate Certificate in Forensic Behavioural Science
MA-FBS Master of Forensic Behavioural Science
GD-FMHN Graduate Diploma of Forensic Mental Health Nursing
GC-SFARM Graduate Certificate in Specialist Forensic Assessment and Risk Management
Unit information in detail
- Teaching methods, assessment, general skills outcomes and content.
Teaching methods
This unit will involve up to 150 hours of work including:
| Type | Hours per week | Number of Weeks | Total |
| Face to Face Contact Optional Workshop |
12 (1.5 days in week 5) |
1 |
12 |
| Online Contact | N/A |
|
|
| Specified Learning Activities Discussion boards, Readings |
4 |
12 |
48 |
| Unspecified Learning Activities Independent study, Assessment preparation, |
7 |
12 |
84 |
| TOTAL |
|
| 144 hours/12.5cp |
Assessment
| Types | Individual or Group task | Weighting | Assesses attainment of these ULOs |
| Case vignette 1 | Individual | 25% | 1, 3 |
| Case vignette 2 | Individual | 35% | 2 |
| Essay | Individual | 40% | 4, 5 |
General skills outcomes
During this unit students will receive feedback on the following key generic skills:
• Analysis Skills
• Communication Skills
• Ability to tackle unfamiliar problems
• Ability to work independently
• Analysis Skills
• Communication Skills
• Ability to tackle unfamiliar problems
• Ability to work independently
Content
• Background to correctional responses to crime
• Background to youth justice responses to crime
• Understanding challenging behaviours Part 1: self-harm and suicide in custodial and youth detention settings
• Understanding challenging behaviours Part 2: Institutional aggression
• Mental illness in custodial and youth detention settings
• Where does treatment of mental disorder fit in carceral settings?
• Reducing reoffending rates
• Background to youth justice responses to crime
• Understanding challenging behaviours Part 1: self-harm and suicide in custodial and youth detention settings
• Understanding challenging behaviours Part 2: Institutional aggression
• Mental illness in custodial and youth detention settings
• Where does treatment of mental disorder fit in carceral settings?
• Reducing reoffending rates
Study resources
- Reading materials.
Reading materials
A list of reading materials will be made available in the Unit Outline.