Towards a fair, humane and non-discriminatory criminal justice system?
LMB/002, Law and Sociology Building, Campus East, University of York (Map)
Event details
What does a fair, humane, and non-discriminatory criminal justice model of responsibility and punishment look like, and how does it treat offenders with mental disorders or psychosocial disabilities?
In this seminar Dr Tova Bennet (Lund University) will draw on the unique integrated Swedish model as a point of departure, where criminal incapacity is considered only in sentencing. The approach originates from an era of social reform focusing on rehabilitation rather than retribution, and has been the subject of long standing criticism as persons with severe mental disorders or disabilities can be and are held accountable for crimes, resulting in long-term compulsory psychiatric in-patient treatment where it is unclear if punishment, a need for treatment or societal protection, or other interests can justify their continued incarceration.
Sweden is undergoing an unprecedented prison expansion, from once boasting one of the lowest per capita incarceration rates in the world to now finding itself headed towards the top ten. This is the result of several comprehensive penal reforms resulting in harsher and longer sentences. Going from one extreme to another, Sweden demonstrates how rapid penal expansion may undermine a social rehabilitation model of criminal justice, and how offenders with mental disorders and disabilities may be among the most affected. Can the integrated model still offer a fair, humane, and non-discriminatory way forward?
This event is hosted at York Law School, organised by Dr Kajsa Dinesson (Law) and generously funded by IMRY. The event is interdisciplinary and welcomes attendees from various disciplinary backgrounds. It will be of particular relevance to those with an interest in justice, mental disorders, disabilities, and questions around offending and responsibility.
About the speaker
Dr Tova Bennet
Dr Tova Bennet is Senior Lecturer in Criminal Law at Lund University. Dr Bennet’s research focuses on the fundamental conditions of criminal responsibility and punishment and on the governance of offenders with severe mental disorder, with particular attention to the interface between legal theory, substantive criminal law and legal and forensic psychiatric practice. Her work combines doctrinal and empirical analysis at the intersection of criminal law, forensic psychiatry, and preventive justice.