Beyond crime: justice and sustainability in the classroom and community

Criminology and criminal justice are not perhaps the most immediately obvious disciplinary hosts for embedding ESD. Yet, specific theoretical approaches (critical criminology, green criminology, zemiology and public criminology) within them illustrate clear overlaps with the sustainable development agenda. Perhaps the most explicit connections between criminology and sustainability are made via the concept of justice. Agyeman and colleagues (2003: 3) note how “justice and sustainability are intimately linked and mutually interdependent, certainly at the problem level and increasingly at the solution level.” Issues of inequality and injustice (and crucially, ways of addressing them) can be linked to the four areas of environmental, social, economic and cultural sustainability (UNESCO, 2005). The paper reflects on how such considerations have been introduced into criminology and criminal Justice curriculum by way of a new and innovative module ‘Criminology for a Just Society’. The pedagogical approach adopted is explicitly interdisciplinary and student-centred. The learning, teaching and assessment strategies of the module were developed in close collaboration with the students, facilitating a strong sense of commitment and ownership. Service learning through volunteering placements and assessment embedding critical reflection and knowledge exchange have helped facilitate transformational learning for all involved. The paper reflects on the student and staff experiences from the first year of ‘Criminology for a Just Society’, focusing on the benefits and challenges of learning beyond familiar disciplinary and classroom contexts, and the more enriched and connected understanding of criminology and sustainability developed as a result.