CRIME, JUSTICE AND SOCIETY

THE UNIVERSITY OF SHEFFIELD

WEEK 1: CRIME AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE

WELCOME TO THE COURSE
Dr Matthew Bacon, The University of Sheffield: Welcome to Crime, Justice
and Society. On this course, we'll be exploring the vast and fascinating issues
of crime and criminal justice, looking at the role of the state in the regulation of
criminal behaviour and the parts played by those involved in the criminal
justice system.
Crime and the study of crime occurs within a social and political context. What
we think about crime and what we think we know about crime reflects the
times in which we live. As we will see, the ways in which we respond to crime
are also very much a reflection of the nature of the contemporary world. As
societies change, what can be known and what is already known about crime
changes too - begging new questions, involving new crimes, and stimulating
both innovative methods of social control and new types of criminological
study.
To me, the study of crime and criminal justice is a gateway into understanding
how societies function. It covers debates on permissible and moral behaviours,
of collective reasoning, and the policing of the self. Looking back, my own
fascination started with the stories about Sherlock Holmes that I read as a
child, James Bond movies and dreams of becoming a bounty hunter in the
American Wild West. I wanted to find out if media representations of cops and
criminals were anything like the reality. Now, having carried out research on
policing, drug control policy and the illegal economy, I have come to realise
that it is a far more complex and intriguing subject than I ever could have
imagined.

The University of Sheffield

Each week on this course, we will learn about key themes and contemporary
debates in research, policy and practice, with experts from the Centre for
Criminological Research here at the University of Sheffield. We'll invite you to
share your experiences and join us in debating the issues with other learners.
We'll ask, does your social and political background affect how you think about
crime and criminal justice? What should the role of the police be in
contemporary society? What are victims' experiences of criminal justice, and
how can we support victims? Are there alternative responses to crime instead
of prosecution and conviction? Does criminal justice policy and practice
command public confidence and reflect community values?
I will see you again later in the week when we head to Italy to learn about
Cesare Lombroso, the controversial figure often cited as the father of modern
criminology. But for now, I shall leave you with Dr Maggie Wykes, who will be
looking at ideas about crime, criminals and justice.
Dr Maggie Wykes, The University of Sheffield: Hi, I'm Dr Maggie Wykes, a
criminologist at Sheffield Law School. Welcome to Week 1 of the course Crime,
Justice and Society.
At face value the title of the course, Crime, Justice and Society, seems
straightforward. After all, we all know what crime is, don't we? And if a crime is
committed, we understand that the police, law and possibly the courts and
prisons will ensure justice is done, helping to keep society and all of us better
protected.
However in Week 1, we'll see that anything to do with crime and justice is far
from straightforward. We'll start by thinking about what crime is. Who commits
it? Where does it happen? Why does it happen? And how do we know about
it? Then we'll consider how the discipline of criminology emerged to deal with
the problem of crime and criminals.

University of Sheffield 2

Criminology is the academic home of all the educators in the course team,
whom you'll meet later. And you'll see from their work that there are many very
different interests, areas of expertise, and ideas about what criminologists
should be doing.
The history of criminology is complex. So we will be looking at crime museums
to try to better understand how criminology emerged and what it does
nowadays. Then we'll consider the topic of justice and look at its principles.
We'll discuss how the criminal justice system works, and how we can learn a lot
about justice by thinking about what happens when justice isn't done. So you'll
learn about some cases where serious miscarriages of justice have happened.
As the course team live, research, and teach in England, we'll be focusing on
English crime and criminal justice. But along the way, we'll be encouraging you
to think about crime and justice in your own country. Do you have different
ideas? Why do you think this might be?
We hope you will discuss these differences with your fellow learners. And try
to understand how another society's ideas about crime, criminals and justice
might differ from your own. Learning from each other cannot only help us to
think more critically and reflectively about our own culture and practices, but it
can also throw light on what we mean when we talk about crime and justice.
So do share your ideas and experiences.
We hope you enjoy your week and we look forward to your comments.

The University of Sheffield 3