(Policing and Crime Prevention): Many law enforcement agencies use predictive policing to inform staffing levels and patrol allocations. Some of these efforts have been successful, but they have also stirred up controversy. What are the prospects and pitfalls of using this kind of approach in policing?
Module 10 Short-Answer (Courts and Restorative Justice): The use of victim impact statements has produced a fiery debate among scholars and justice officials: advocates argue that the process provides important benefits for primary victims and the broader community, while critics suggest that the process introduces biases that can substantially disadvantage the offender. Weighing up these pros and cons, do you think Australian courts should use victim impact statements? Contextualize and justify your response.
Module 11 Short-Answer (Corrections): The use of imprisonment is costly and produces many ill-effects for offenders, leading to the principle that it should be used as a last resort and be reserved for the most serious offenders. Advances in risk assessment tools have introduced the hope of selective incapacitation, with proponents suggesting that we could use prison only for those offenders that are predicted to reoffend. What are the benefits and drawbacks of this approach? Should future risk be a sentencing consideration? Explain
