Curricular Unit:Code:
Criminal Policies and International Law1162PCDI
Year:Level:Course:Credits:
2UndergraduateCriminology6 ects
Learning Period:Language of Instruction:Total Hours:
Spring SemesterPortuguese/English78
Learning Outcomes of the Curricular Unit:
1. Building knowledge
a) Understand the significance and realm of criminal policies in the context of criminology
b) To analytically envisage the evolution of Portuguese criminal policy
c) Be able to build a theoretical framework that allows them to understand the challenges affecting the implementation of criminal policy whether for preventive or repressive purposes
2- Skills:
a) Develop a critical view – based on the analyses of empirical studies – about criminal policy developments
b) Acquire skills that to perform bibliographic research in national and international databases in an autonomous manner
3- Attitudes:
a) Develop their capacities of teamwork
b) Become receptive to national and international developments in the field of criminal policy
Syllabus:
I Criminal policy
1.Criminal policy concept and its relevance in the criminology’ field
1.1. Basic principles of criminal policy
1.1.1 Evolution of the Portuguese criminal policy
2. Impact of international law and international institutions in the national criminal policy
2.1 ONU – human rights and criminal procedures
2.2 EU – legislation and mechanisms of international cooperation
3. Criminal policy vectors in the domain of preventions and repression
3.1. Police and Prosecution – the operationalization of criminal policy
3.2 Crimes requiring primacy investigation and prevention
3.3 Goals and limits of crime prevention
Demonstration of the Syllabus Coherence with the Curricular Unit's Objectives:
Students will be able to understand the concept of criminal policy, and the evolution of criminal policy in Portugal. In addition, students will have the opportunity to reflect about the inputs of international law and international institutions in the criminal policy domain. Finally, students will get in touch with the main features that inform criminal policy in the domain of investigation and prevention. For this purpose, they will study different theoretical approaches on the criminal policy concept and its evolution. Further, this course envisages a critical study of the role of the police and the public prosecution in the implementation of criminal policy, yet encompassing the goals and limits of the interventions of this actors.
Teaching Methodologies (Including Evaluation):
Theoretical-practical methodology that combine a structured and articulated presentation of the themes included in the syllabus with group discussions (programmed beforehand) among students, so that students can develop their argumentative and critic competences/abilities supported by the readings of the material included in the bibliography.
- Written test (60%);
Assignments + Oral participation (40%);
Demonstration of the Coherence between the Teaching Methodologies and the Learning Outcomes:
The use of a theoretical-practical methodology as above detailed allows students to acquire knowledge (e.g., through the reading of the texts included in the bibliography and the attendance to classes), demonstrate their ability to critically reasoning (e.g., group discussions), demonstrate capacity to perform a critical analysis (e.g., written tests).
Reading:
Ferreira, M. (2017) Estudos Críticos da Paz e Crime Organizado Transnacional. Revista Crítica de Ciências Sociais. http://dx.doi.org/10.4000/rccs.6643
Gaspar, G. (2015). A investigação criminal na União Europeia: as estruturas europeias. Investigação criminal, 9 pp. 34-58.
Gottfredson, M. & Hirschi, T. (2016). The Criminal Career Perspective as an Explanation of Crime and a Guide to Crime Control Policy. Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, 53 (3), pp. 406-419.
Oliveira, J. (2005). As políticas de Segurança e os Modelos de Policiamento. A Emergência do Policiamento de Proximidade. Almedina.
Teles, P. & Martins, D. (2017). O Tribunal Penal Internacional – Desafios atuais. DOI: 10.23906/ri2017.54a03
Welsh, B. & Farrington, D. (2015). Monetary Value of Early Developmental Crime Prevention and Its Policy Significance. Criminology & Public Policy, 14, pp. 673-680.
Tilley, N. & Sidebottom, A. (2017). Handbook of crime prevention and community safety. Routledge.