Research project

Punishment

Research on punishment is conducted across various disciplines at Leiden University. This research project combines perspectives from law, criminology, the social sciences and philosophy.

Within this research theme, researchers at the Institute of Criminal Law and Criminology collaborate to answer various questions related to the development, implementation and effect of various forms of punishment and measures. How do judges and other actors in the criminal justice system arrive at decisions? How do defendants experience their punishment? Does the punishment achieve the desired effect? Assumptions and expectations are tested within this research theme using empirical research.

For example, when a judge imposes a sentence, they have multiple sentencing goals in mind. Much empirical research within this theme explores the extent to which those sentencing goals are achieved and identifies additional effects, intended or otherwise. The researchers examine the perspectives of both the defendant and the actors in the criminal justice chain. To do this, they use a combination of cutting-edge quantitative and qualitative research methods.

Research on imprisonment

The Institute of Criminal Law and Criminology conducts extensive research on imprisonment. Sending a person to prison is the most severe form of punishment that can be applied in the criminal justice systems of European countries. In most countries, the number of prisoners has risen in recent decades. Each year in the Netherlands, more than 30,000 people are sent to a penitentiary institution (PI). Despite its importance in crime prevention, however, there is little knowledge about the determinants, execution and (collateral) effects of imprisonment.

For all current research projects on imprisonment, please refer to the page on Imprisonment. For all other current research projects, please refer to the page on Research on punishment.

Berghuis, M.L., Palmen, H., Cochran, J. & Nieuwbeerta, P. (2022). Visitation Enablers and Barriers: Evaluating the influences of practical, relational, and experiential factors on visitation in Dutch prisons. Crime and Delinquency. https://doi.org/10.1177/00111287211061721
Boer, H. de; Wingerden, S.G.W., van; Boone, M.M., De invloed van opsporings-en vervolgingsbeleid op de Nederlandse gevangenispopulatie. Een diepgaande analyse van de omvang van de gevangenispopulatie tussen 2000-2020, Tijdschrift voor Criminologie, online first, 2024.

Corda A., Rovira M. & Zand-Kurtovic E. van 't (2023), Collateral consequences of criminal records from a cross-national perspective: an introduction, Criminology & Criminal Justice 23(4): 519-527.
Elbers, J.M., Van Ginneken, E.F.J.C., Boone, M., Nieuwbeerta, P., & Palmen, H. (2022). Reward systems in prison. A systematic review. International Journal of Law, Crime and Justice. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijlcj.2022.100556
Ginneken E.F.J.C. van & Palmen J.M.H. (2023), Is There a Relationship Between Prison Conditions and Recidivism?, Justice Quarterly 40(1): 106-128.
Hendriks, C., Jansen, J. M., Smit, M., Smulders, L. M., & Popma, A. (2023). VReedom: training for authorized leave of absence through virtual reality–a feasibility study. Frontiers in psychology, 14, 1231619.
Martufi, A. & van Noorloos, M. (2024), ‘Transfer of probationers under EU law: rehabilitation and the question of legitimacy in the Netherlands’, European Journal of Probation.
Pasma A.J., Ginneken E.F.J.C. van, Palmen J.M.H. & Nieuwbeerta P. (2023), Professional support and re-entry preparedness among prisoners, Criminology & Criminal Justice.
Rijt J.I.B. van de, Ginneken E.F.J.C. van & Boone M.M. (2023), Normalisation by default and normalisation by design: a systematic review of empirical studies on the normalisation of prison life, Incarceration 4: 1-19.
Sentse M., Ginneken E.F.J.C. van & Palmen H. (2023), Selective rule enforcement on prison units and individual misconduct: a multilevel study, Crime & Delinquency .
J.M. ten (2023), Re-integratie en levenslange gevangenisstraf: een rol voor vergelding?, Proces: Tijdschrift voor Strafrechtspleging 102(4): 245-253.
Wermink H.T., Blokland A.A.J., Been J., Schuyt P.M., Tollenaar N. & Apel R. (2023), Estimating effects of short-term imprisonment on crime using random judge assignments, Justice Quarterly.
Wermink H.T., Been J., Schuyt P.M., Wijck P. van & Blokland A.A.J. (2024), The price of retribution: evidence from the willingness to pay for short-term prison sentences compared to community service orders, Journal of Experimental Criminology.

Jennifer Doekhie en Anouk  den Besten over Bajes naar Buiten (in Dutch)
Hilde Wermink on the effect of prison sentences and community service
Anke Ramakers on working when you have a criminal record (in Dutch)
Paul Nieuwbeerta on prison sentences (in Dutch)
Elina van’t Zand, Allesandro Corba and Marti Rovira publish special issue: Collateral Consequences of Criminal Records in Criminology & Criminal Justice.
Hilde Wermink, Anke Ramakers, Bob Apel and Mikko Aaltonen organise special issue: Longitudinal and Developmental Investigations of Criminal Justice Interventions and Reintegration in Journal of Developmental and Life-Course Criminology.
Hilde Wermink and Anke Ramakers organised with Bob Apel and Mikko Aaltonen Lorentz workshop Criminal justice settings, crime and reintegration (19-22 February 2024).

Hilde Wermink, Anke Ramakers, Bob Apel and Mikko Aaltonen are publishing a special issue entitled ‘Longitudinal and developmental investigations of criminal justice interventions and reintegration’ in the Journal of Developmental and Life-Course Criminology.