The goal of the course is to make students aware that they are part of the justice system and to empower them to reflect, as active agents, on the structure and functioning of the system. To achieve this, various perspectives on the system are explored: from a neurobiological perspective (what lies behind criminal behavior) to a political perspective (the views of politicians), and from a procedural perspective (how does the system work and what dilemmas do professionals face) to the personal perspective (what is it like to be incarcerated or become a victim of crime). In doing so, the wisdom of science is combined with the wisdom of professionals and the community.
Through these different perspectives we will reflect and challenge common concepts in the justice system as ‘justice’, ‘law & order’, ‘security’ and ‘victim’ and ‘offender’. We dive into the question of how much emphasis our justice system should put on punishment vs. rehabilitation? Recidivism rates are significantly higher when the criminal justice system focuses on punitive approaches and harsher enforcement than when it focuses on rehabilitation and positive development. But how do we then make sure ‘justice’ is served?
And what about our society at large? It is well known that contextual factors such as poverty and access to education influence the probability of criminal behavior. As a future matter research shows that institutional racism and biases within the justice system lead to unequal outcomes and exacerbate structures of social injustice. So, should the first step not be to eradicate social injustice and to make societies more equal - with true equal opportunities and justice for everyone? Also how do narratives in the public debate and media affect the legitimacy and efficacy of the justice system?
The course is coordinated by Fleur Souverein (senior researcher) and Tanja Jadnanansing (District Chair of Amsterdam South-East). This connection between academia and the municipality means that the course extends beyond the university. The course introduces students not only to different sides of these discussions, but also connects them with people involved with the system (professionals, people with lived-experience, politicians and activists) through panel discussion and field-trips.
For more information and course details, go to 'Curriculum' at the top of the page.