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Unit of Study LAW00056 - Aborigines, Torres Strait Islanders and the Criminal Justice System (2016)

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Unit Snapshot

  • Enrolment information

    N/A

Unit description

Discusses the impact of the criminal justice system on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Students are introduced to restorative justice, juvenile justice, customary law, diversion and prevention schemes, and prisons and post-release programs. The complex interaction between broader social and economic processes, the criminal justice system, and Indigenous people (both as victims and offenders) is considered.

Unit content

Topic 1 Overview of the issues facing Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders in their contact with the criminal justice system
Topic 2 Overview of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal deaths in custody
Topic 3 Implementation of the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal deaths in custody
Topic 4 Indigenous juveniles and the criminal justice system
Topic 5 Indigenous women and the criminal justice system
Topic 6 Restorative justice responses in the criminal justice system
Topic 7 Alternatives to mainstream criminal justice processes
Topic 8 Aboriginality and Aboriginal customary law in sentencing
Topic 9 Recidivism: factors in Aboriginal reoffending
Topic 10 Prisons and post-release programs

Availabilities

Not currently available in 2016

Learning outcomes and graduate attributes

Unit Learning Outcomes express learning achievement in terms of what a student should know, understand and be able to do on completion of a unit. These outcomes are aligned with the graduate attributes. The unit learning outcomes and graduate attributes are also the basis of evaluating prior learning.

On completion of this unit, students should be able to:

GA1: Intellectual rigour, GA2: Creativity, GA3: Ethical practice, GA4: Knowledge of a discipline, GA5: Lifelong learning, GA6: Communication and social skills, GA7: Cultural competence
Learning outcome count Learning outcome description GA1 GA2 GA3 GA4 GA5 GA6 GA7
1 review the impact of the criminal justice system on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and recognise the system's key processes and agents
2 summarise the findings of relevant major reports, such as the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody
3 indicate the socio-economic difficulties faced by Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders that give rise to greater contact with the criminal justice system, including the circumstances faced by Indigenous women
4 clarify the meaning and status of Aboriginality and Aboriginal customary law in criminal law
5 discuss restorative and therapeutic justice approaches to Indigenous offenders and victims
6 examine the impact of diversionary and preventative schemes on Indigenous populations.

On completion of this unit, students should be able to:

  1. review the impact of the criminal justice system on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and recognise the system's key processes and agents
    • GA7:
  2. summarise the findings of relevant major reports, such as the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody
    • GA7:
  3. indicate the socio-economic difficulties faced by Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders that give rise to greater contact with the criminal justice system, including the circumstances faced by Indigenous women
    • GA1:
    • GA3:
    • GA7:
  4. clarify the meaning and status of Aboriginality and Aboriginal customary law in criminal law
    • GA7:
  5. discuss restorative and therapeutic justice approaches to Indigenous offenders and victims
    • GA3:
    • GA7:
  6. examine the impact of diversionary and preventative schemes on Indigenous populations.
    • GA1:
    • GA3:
    • GA7: