Single subject — no qualification is awarded on completion. Credits toward the qualifications listed below.
This subject is FEE-HELP eligible, so eligible students can defer the $4,320 fee as a government loan and pay nothing upfront.
Fees and funding are indicative only. Confirm your eligibility and final costs with the provider.
A student visa requires a full-time CRICOS-registered course, and single subjects have no CRICOS registration. If you’re studying in Australia on a student visa, you’ll need a full qualification instead.
See CRICOS-registered alternativesPrisons are a standard response to crime, but incarceration raises pressing social, economic, and ethical questions about its effectiveness, equity, and sustainability for the future. As pressure mounts to find more effective and equitable responses to crime, the role of punishment has never been more critical. Through engagement with practitioners, case studies, and real-world policy initiatives, the unit takes a practice-oriented approach grounded in first-hand examinations of the role, purpose, and effectiveness of different forms of punishment and sentencing in contemporary Australian and international justice systems. The unit examines the purposes of punishment for victims, offenders, and communities, asking when prison is appropriate and when alternative responses are more effective. Students will explore how custodial and non-custodial sanctions are implemented, experienced, and challenged. Emphasis is placed on the ethical, political, and practical dimensions of punishment, and on evaluating policy arguments for and against incarceration. Students will develop the capacity to critically assess justice practices, evaluate alternatives to incarceration, and advocate for evidence-based, ethically grounded responses to crime. This unit challenges students to consider effective, just, and sustainable responses to crime.
Incarceration, Justice and Punishment is a standalone subject at Macquarie University in NSW. Completing it does not award a qualification. Credit may apply toward the qualifications listed on this page.
No qualification credit mapping has been indexed for this subject yet. The provider may still grant credit toward a related award — confirm with Macquarie University before enrolling.
Macquarie University is the awarding provider. Recorded study modes are Online. Typical duration is listed as 13 weeks. The subject is listed at 25 credit points. Eligible students may defer fees through FEE-HELP.
Details on this page are compiled from the provider's published subject information and government registers. Fees, intakes and credit rules can change — confirm current details with Macquarie University before enrolling.
Prior study required
