PRISONS AND PRISONERS - 2026/7

Module Overview

This module will focus on the use of prisons and the ways these are navigated in contemporary society. 

Module provider

Sociology

Module Leader

ADAMS Maria (Sociology)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 6

Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A

Module Availability

Semester 1

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

None

Module content

Indicative content includes:
 

• Examine issues related to gender, race, and age in order to better understand the diverse needs and lived experiences of people in prison.
• Explore the role of food in prison life, considering how individuals navigate consumption and preparation practices within institutional constraints.
• Develop an understanding of how arts are defined in the prison context and analyse how arts based activities shape the quality of prison life, including ongoing debates about their value as tools for rehabilitation.
• Consider international perspectives such as Scandinavian approaches to imprisonment and to assess whether these models offer meaningful insights or alternatives that can inform new ways of learning and practice.
• Analyse the dynamics between people in prison and staff members to identify emerging challenges as well as examples of effective practice within the prison environment.

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

Students to produce a written script that could be used as a part of their presentation. 

Assessment Strategy

The summative assessment for this module consists of:
 

Formative assessment 

The formative assessment is designed to support students in preparing for their final assessment. Students will be asked to submit a plan outlining the key content of their presentation. This will include a clear breakdown of team roles and responsibilities, as well as the resources that will be used to support the completion of the presentation. The teaching team will provide formative feedback on this submission. 

In addition, each week of teaching will explicitly highlight how the topic connects to the assessment, with key learning points and supporting materials provided. The module team will also offer office hours to give students further opportunities for guidance and support throughout the module.

Module aims

• Understand how prisons are used across different political, economic, and social contexts.
• Examine the range of issues that shape the experiences of people in prison, including the role of food, participation in arts-based programmes, family contact, and relationships with staff.
• Identify how intersecting social identities such as race, gender, and age shape and influence individuals experiences within the prison environment.

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching strategy is designed to:

Provide students with a detailed understanding of the uses and abuses of prisons in society, as well as the experiences of prisoners. . The mix of lectures and discussion provides a flexible framework for engaging with the various forms and uses of prisons throughout society, exposing students to key literature whilst allowing a forum for more in depth discussion.

Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.

Reading list

https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: SOC3055

Other information

Sociology is committed to developing graduates with strengths in Employability, Digital Capabilities, Global and Cultural Capabilities, Sustainability, and Resourcefulness and Resilience. This module is designed to allow students to develop knowledge, skills, and capabilities in the following areas:

Global and cultural capabilities: Students will speak about the range of perspectives from international lens on the experiences of people in prison and working in prisons. Students will develop a critical understanding about the political and economic spheres of countries and how this influences the prison system. In this, students will understand the demographic trends in prisons and the affect this has on societal inequalities from an international lens.

Employability: The assessment strategy for the module is designed to engage in theoretical and contemporary debates which will contribute to their career development.  Many of the students will also develop written and verbal communication skills through the course content. They will have opportunities to develop skills in presentations, group work and to critically engage in issues that influence political and parliamentary affairs about the prison system.

Resourcefulness and resilience: Throughout the semester, students will undertake a serious of assessment and seminar tasks that will help enhance their resourcefulness and resilience. With this, students will be required to independently plan, research and contribute to written tasks, and lastly, build their confidence and engagement through participation in seminar discussions and activities, thus contributing to a supportive learning community.

Programmes this module appears in

Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2026/7 academic year.