A eficácia percebida das penas – os impactos e efeitos reais e os objetivos de quem sentencia

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Publications

In or out: Justice-involved women characterization and their perceptions about penal sanctions.

Publication . Castro Rodrigues, Andreia de; Andrade, Joana; Gonçalves, Rui Abrunhosa; Cruz, Ana Rita; Cunha, Olga

Women incarceration rates in Portugal are rising, nevertheless, noncustodial sanctions should be chosen, whenever possible. This paper aims to understand which women are being sentenced to noncustodial sanctions and which are not, and what they think about their penalty, considering that the penalties’ effectiveness is linked to how they are experienced. A self-report questionnaire was administered to 152 Portuguese women serving custodial and non-custodial sentences. Results demonstrated that women were not spared from prison, regardless of their parental and marital situation and whether or not this was their first penalty or if it was a nonviolent crime conviction. The women generally considered their sentences to be unfair, and rehabilitation was not considered the purpose guiding judges’ sentencing decisions. Implications for the rehabilitation of justice-involved women are discussed since these perceptions might compromise their adherence to the penalties and minimize its effectiveness.

2022Journal article

Open access

Executive dysfunction, violence and aggression

Publication . Cruz, Ana Rita; de Castro-Rodrigues, Andreia; Barbosa, Fernando

Executive Functions (EFs) is an umbrella expression used for several processes and subprocesses encompassing goal-oriented behavior and decision-making strategies. However, the extent to which impaired EFs relate to and characterize different types of criminal behavior and aggressiveness is not clear. Similarly, research on the association between EFs and psychopathy has also produced mixed findings. The failure to disaggregate between different types of crime and antisocial individuals can impede the identification of specific neurocognitive mechanisms associated with crime. We reviewed the extent to which EFs (according to Miyake latent variable analysis) are associated with violent and non-violent crime, impulsive and premeditated aggression as well as psychopathic traits. Findings, although nonconsensual, suggest a more nuanced view on the association between EFs and crime, suggesting that different executive domains might be more compromised in violent and impulsive individuals, and specific psychopathy facets are more associated with executive dysfunction and criminality. Studies in line with this approach will allow offenders to benefit from intervention strategies that will address their specific deficits, optimizing their EFs and contributing to better cognitive management in demanding and complex situations, such as criminal and violent deterrence.

2020Journal article

Restricted access