Penology and Penitentiary Law

6 ECTS credits
150 h study time

Offer 2 with catalog number 1006889BER for all students in the 1st semester at a (B) Bachelor - advanced level.

Semester

1st semester

Enrollment based on exam contract

Possible

Grading method

Grading (scale from 0 to 20)

Can retake in second session

Yes

Taught in

Dutch

Faculty

Faculty of Law and Criminology

Department

Criminology

Educational team

Kristel Beyens (course titular)
An-Sofie Vanhouche
Lars Breuls

Activities and contact hours

26 contact hours Lecture
60 contact hours Independent or External Form of Study

Course Content

Introductory and critical analysis of penitentiary policies, punishment and goals of punishment in Belgium, from sociological, legal and criminological perspectives. Attention is given to internment, the death penalty, but especially to the various aspects of the execution of prison sentences.

The following questions are central:

Under what circumstances is imprisonment carried out in Belgium?
What are the legal national and international rules regarding the execution of imprisonment and the transition to society (cf. different forms of release)?
What impact does the sentence have on those involved?

Course material

Digital course material (Required) : De lessen worden gegeven met behulp van powerpointpresentaties die ter beschikking worden gesteld evenals lesopnames, video's, podcasts en wetenschappelijke publicaties, Canvas
Handbook (Required) : Straffen, Een penologisch perspectief, Beyens K. & Snacken, S., Antwerpen, Maklu, 9789046609002, 2017

Additional info

Day students: 2h lectures per week. These lectures will be recorded and made available via the digital platform CANVAS to all students.

Working students: two online consultation moments are provided, one at the start and one at the end of the semester. The purpose of these meetings is to answer questions.

More information about the course will be provided through the learning platform CANVAS.

Learning Outcomes

General competencies

Knowledge and Understanding

Students can explain in their own words, apply and distinguish between types of punishments, punishment goals and their social functions.
Students can describe, illustrate and compare the role and functioning of international actors and bodies.
Students can explain Belgian penitentiary policy and illustrate developments through examples.
Students can distinguish Belgian prisons and discuss its population and staff.
Students can explain and illustrate in their own words the psychosocial consequences of imprisonment using examples.
Students can discuss the legal status of prisoners as well as its main objectives.

Communication skills and practical competencies

Students can communicate clearly, distinctly, correctly and critically in writing.

Attitudes

Students have an interested, inquisitive and independent attitude towards knowledge acquisition and construction.
Students have a keen interest in and sensitivity to social and penological issues.

Grading

The final grade is composed based on the following categories:
Written Exam determines 100% of the final mark.

Within the Written Exam category, the following assignments need to be completed:

Written Exam with a relative weight of 100 which comprises 100% of the final mark.

Additional info regarding evaluation

Written exam with a combination of open-ended and multiple-choice questions.

The exam assesses both knowledge and understanding of the subject matter.

The multiple-choice exam will be graded by using a higher pass mark. So no points will be deducted for a wrong answer. However, scoring for guessing will be reflected in the final grade by increasing the pass mark. The pass mark for the exam and the exact conversion table will be communicated in a timely manner on CANVAS and in the exam instructions. The exam strategy by this method is simple: do your best on the entire exam and answer all questions without worrying about possible point deductions.

Allowed unsatisfactory mark

The supplementary Teaching and Examination Regulations of your faculty stipulate whether an allowed unsatisfactory mark for this programme unit is permitted.

Academic context