Research
Current projects
Outpatient, day-care and community-based care in forensics - needs and legal implementation options
Contact: Larissa Landwehr
In general psychiatry, in addition to placement in closed psychiatric clinics, outpatient and day-care facilities as well as community-based care have been used for a long time. In contrast, forensic psychiatry still relies on centralized placement in closed and sometimes highly secure facilities. Forensic psychiatry is coming under increasing pressure due to long lengths of stay and sometimes considerable overcrowding. This is one of the reasons why the project is exploring the possibilities of further aligning forensic care with general psychiatry. In a first step, a needs analysis will be carried out with the help of expert interviews. In a second step, the project will shed light on legal implementation options and, in particular, examine the question of whether the introduction of open and community-based treatment concepts would be compatible with the current provisions of the law on disciplinary measures or whether there is a need for legal reform.
Prevention and management of delinquency among children under the age of criminal responsibilityr
Contact: Christina Rueß
The project aims to examine the existing challenges and opportunities in dealing with the delinquency of children under the age of criminal responsibility and to identify any need for improvement and reform. While there are repeated calls in legal policy for the age of criminal responsibility to be lowered in this context, the project deliberately chooses a broader approach and focuses on the entire (crime prevention) care system. One focus is on the interplay between the different legal systems - such as child and youth welfare law, family law and juvenile criminal law - as well as the role of the institutions involved.
Experiences, everyday working life and safety in probation services (EbASiB). A criminological study among probation officers
Contact: Elena Schaffeld
In a decision dated 20 June 2023, the Federal Constitutional Court once again emphasized the importance of a resocialization concept based on the latest scientific findings. It must be ensured that the purposes of criminal sanctions and, in particular, the reintegration of offenders are secured with the necessary personnel and financial resources. Probation services have a central role to play here.
The survey is conducted in cooperation with the DBH Fachverband für Soziale Arbeit, Strafrecht und Kriminalpolitik e.V. (Association for Social Work, Criminal Law and Criminal Policy).
Research Center: Sports Criminology
A sports criminology research center was set up in 2024 to investigate interpersonal violence within high-performance sport. Further information