Blog
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Punishment Severity and Recidivism – A Study on Driving Under Influence
Does punishment severity matter for recidivism and social integration? This blog post by Karoliina Suonpää is based on a study on Driving Under Influence.
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Sex Slaves, Monsters, and Superheroes
Think about the last time you read, heard, or saw anything about sex trafficking. This story includes three set characters: a naïve girl-child, an evil foreigner, and a heroic rescuer. In my research, I have shown that the sex trafficking story follows the classic folk tale of ‘the maiden’s tragedy’. New blog post by Anita…
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Interviews During the Pandemic: Why Video Didn’t Kill the Audio Star
For the first article of my doctoral dissertation, I interviewed the police and prosecutors on their decision-making regarding victim offender mediation during 2020 and 2021. I planned to conduct the interviews face to face, as it enables a natural social setting for capturing lived experiences. Then the pandemic arrived, and I had to rethink my…
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As practice becomes policy; children become risky business
The current situation in Sweden with lethal violence among young males, has brought the best interest of the child into conflict with public concerns and security. This was notably highlighted in May 2023 when the Swedish government announced a public inquiry to decrease the age of criminal responsibility from fifteen years down to the age…
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“Healthy prisons” during disruptions
When researching on health and wellbeing in two Norwegian prisons, challenges such as Covid-19, austerity measures, and organizational changes became a central part of data. The findings illuminate distinct impacts these disruptions had on staff-prisoner relationships, underscoring the potential significance of prison size in understanding these variations.
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Spotlighting the probation meeting
Little is known about the content of meetings between formerly imprisoned persons and probation staff following imprisonment. This blogpost highlights lived experiences of these meetings, from the perspectives of persons who recently returned to the community. Not surprisingly, the interaction contributed to feelings of being captured in freedom. But above all, in these contexts, the…
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Let’s talk methods! The potential of app-based textual interviewing in criminology
Qualitative criminologists still rarely use technology when collecting research data, despite the fact that most people today communicate digitally on an everyday basis. Using text-based apps to conduct interviews is one example of how digital platforms can be used as an advantage both to conduct interviews and to recruit interviewees from hard-to-reach populations. New blog…
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Punishment in the digital age: smart prisons, video visitation and electronic surveillance in the 21st century
The relationship between punishment and digitalisation is an evolving one; raising questions about the influence of digital technologies on contemporary and future correctional practices. Prisons have typically prioritised adaptation of new technologies for security, surveillance and control, although recent trends towards “smart” prisons and increased digital communication after the pandemic suggest a potential shift towards…
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Unfulfilled educational potential in Danish prisons
Incarcerated people in Danish prisons and remand prisons are requesting better educational options. However, the lack of educational options – especially above ground school level – place limitations on meeting the educational requests of the incarcerated people, leaving a large unfulfilled educational potential in Danish prisons. This is one of the major conclusions of the…
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Exploring the Complexities of Sexual Consent and Voluntariness in Swedish Youth Intimate Partner Violence
By Clara Fahlstadius Participating in the European Conference on Domestic Violence (ECDV) in Reykjavik, Iceland was an inspiring experience. As ECDV brings together researchers, practitioners and civil society from both in – and outside Europe, it creates a vibrant buzz and offers diverse and interesting presentations. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to…