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Northern Essex Community College

Module 9: Restorative Justice, Power, and Critical Perspectives

Review all module materials and expectations carefully before beginning your work.

Module Overview
This module examines alternative approaches to crime and punishment alongside competing perspectives on how law, power, and inequality shape criminal justice outcomes. The discussion activity focuses on restorative justice programs in practice, emphasizing offender reintegration, community involvement, and program effectiveness. Students analyze real-world initiatives and consider why certain restorative approaches succeed or face challenges within the broader criminal justice system.
The writing assignment builds on this applied foundation by introducing consensus, pluralistic, and conflict perspectives, along with Marxist, radical, and critical criminology. As you complete this module, focus on how different perspectives explain the creation and enforcement of law and how they influence policy debates and practitioner decision making. Strong work will connect theory to practice by analyzing how views of power, inequality, and social control shape responses to crime.

Important: Carefully review all module materials, instructions, and grading expectations before beginning any activity.

Student Learning Outcomes
  • SLO5: Summarize how criminality changes over the life course and identify the connection between sociological mainstream theories and crime policy
  • SLO6: Illustrate and compare critical and mainstream criminology
  • SLO8: Define criminology, crime, criminal law and the economic effects of crime
What You Will Do
  • Complete assigned readings or instructional materials.
  • Participate in discussions or applied learning activities.
  • Complete written, practical, creative, or problem-based assignments.
  • Review instructor feedback and module expectations.
  • Review all materials carefully before beginning assignments.
  • Follow assignment instructions and grading rubrics closely.
  • Proofread all submissions before posting or uploading.
  • Ask questions early if anything is unclear.