Views about people who commit crime
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain different views on how offenders should be treated, including Christian beliefs and the role of chaplains and charities.
Key learning points
- Treatment of people who commit crime has changed over time, from harsh punishment to a focus on rehabilitation.
- Chaplains support offenders at every stage, working with groups like Prison Fellowship (restorative justice) and PACT.
- Bible verses such as Genesis 1:27 and Matthew 25:36 support dignity, forgiveness and visiting those in prison.
- Churches support rehabilitation, but agree that crime is wrong.
- Views on offenders vary, some stress punishment and deterrence, others support dignity and rehabilitation.
Keywords
Humane - showing kindness, care and sympathy towards others, respecting their dignity and aiming to reduce suffering
Justice - ensuring fairness by responding to crimes in a way that holds the offender properly accountable
Rehabilitation - the process of helping offenders regain skills, change behaviour and reintegrate into society after committing a crime
Common misconception
Rehabilitation and reform mean the same thing.
Rehabilitation focuses on helping offenders change through support like education and therapy, while reform is the wider goal of changing behaviour and becoming a better person. Rehabilitation is one way to achieve reform.
Teacher tip
Using videos of case studies would be a useful way to elicit discussion, especially where people who have committed crime have had different experiences.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of mental health issues
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
5 Questions
Q1.Personal conviction is a deeply held that leads someone to act.
Q2.Which Bible verse is often used to support obeying the law?
Q3.Christians believe conscience helps with decision-making.
Q4.Who was Dietrich Bonhoeffer?
Q5.When might a Christian break the law?
Assessment exit quiz
5 Questions
Q1.Match each keyword to its meaning:
is showing kindness, care and sympathy towards others
is holding the offender properly accountable
is the process of helping offenders regain skills, change behaviour
Q2.Chaplains work with prisoners and support groups like Prison Fellowship to encourage justice.
Q3.Why do churches support rehabilitation?
Q4.What is a reason why Christians might support punishment?
Q5.Rehabilitation focuses on helping offenders change, and is one way to achieve .
To help you plan your 11 religious education lesson on: Views about people who commit crime, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 11 religious education lesson on: Views about people who commit crime, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 4 religious education lessons from the Religion, crime and punishment unit, dive into the full secondary religious education curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.