O processo de tomada de decisão sentencial: análise de fatores implicados na concretização do Direito penal

Tese apresentada à Universidade Fernando Pessoa como parte dos requisitos para obtenção do grau de Doutor em Ciências Sociais, especialidade em PsicologiaEste trabalho pretende analisar o sentenciar de juízes e juízas em Portugal, enquanto agentes sociais atuantes em contexto real, procurando perceber melhor como a sua discricionariedade técnica se concretiza. A investigação das ciências sociais, tem apresentado dificuldade em encontrar um modelo de tomada de decisão que esgote ou explique de forma consensual o processo de sentenciar, e revelado a existência de uma série de aspetos que o influenciam. Estas influências, frequentemente associadas a fenómenos de discriminação e disparidade ao nível das sentenças, podem prender-se com várias faces do processo, designadamente com quem sentencia, com quem delinquiu e com o próprio contexto do tribunal. Com o propósito de explorar este processo decisório realizámos três estudos, dois qualitativos e um quantitativo. No primeiro, fizemos a análise de conteúdo de 93 leituras de acórdãos, especificamente no que diz respeito aos conteúdos verbalizados, para além da leitura daquele documento. No segundo, analisámos as respostas de 49 juízes/as dos tribunais criminais de Porto, Coimbra e Lisboa ao ‘Questionário de Análise da Tomada de Decisões Judiciais’, desenvolvido por Castro-Rodrigues e Sacau. No terceiro, procedemos à análise de conteúdo de entrevistas a juízes e juízas que agregavam as temáticas surgidas nos estudos anteriores, permitindo a sua exploração de forma mais aprofundada. Globalmente, os resultados mostraram que os/as juízes/as apresentam diferenças nas suas escolhas com base na sua abordagem à interpretação da lei, e detetaram uma série de ‘áreas sensíveis’ passíveis de maior discórdia e subjetivação, entre as quais, as regras da experiência, as situações que diminuem ou aumentam a gravidade dos atos, a avaliação de arrependimento e da postura dos/as arguidos/as em tribunal, as considerações respeitantes a aspetos sociais e psicológicos de quem delinquiu, assim como situações que podem estar na base da criminalidade, quer enquanto causa, quer enquanto motivação. Vários destes elementos substanciam-se em áreas do sentenciar onde as avaliações e considerações efetuadas demonstram lacunas em termos sociais e psicológicos, o que apela à necessidade de formação intencional e de apoio técnico nestas matérias.This research intends to analyse the reality of sentencing by judges in Portugal, as social agents acting in real professional context, with the intention of better understanding how judicial discretion is implemented. Research in the social sciences areas, has presented difficulties in finding a consensual decision making model that fully addresses and explains the sentencing process, and such research also has demonstrated the existence of several influences over the decision-making process. Such influences, which frequently are associated to discrimination and sentence disparities, may relate to different elements of the sentencing process, namely the judge, the defendant and even the context of the court. For the purpose of exploring this decisional process we developed three studies, two qualitative and one quantitative. In the first we carried out a content analysis of 93 sentence pronouncements, looking at the content beyond the reading of the sentence. In the second we analysed the responses of 49 judges from the criminal courts of Porto, Lisbon and Coimbra to the “Judicial Decision-Making Analysis Questionnaire”, developed by Castro-Rodrigues e Sacau. In the third, we analysed the judges’ answers to an interview that aimed to aggregate and explore the themes that arose from the first two studies. On the whole, the results demonstrated that judges differ considerably in their choices based on the way they approach the interpretation of law, and revealed a number of ‘sensitive themes’ prone to disagreement and subjectivity, such as, the rules of experience, the circunstances that mitigate and aggravate the seriousness of the offense, the assessment of defendant’s repentance and behavior in court, the considerations regarding social and psychological aspects of the defendant, as well as situations that might be in the basis of criminality, either as a cause, or as a motivation. Several of these elements substantiate sentencing areas where the considerations and judgements reveal some gaps in terms of social and psychological knowledge, which call for more intentional training and technical support on those themes.Ce travail veut analyser les sentences rendues par des juges, dans le contexte portugais, tandis que des agentes sociaux en actuation effective et en situation réelle, cherchant meilleur comprendre comme la discrétionairité technique de qui fait les jugements, se concrétise. La recherche en sciences sociales, a montrée des difficultés pour trouver un modèle de prise de décision capable d’épuiser le processus sententielle ou de l'expliquer de façon consensuelle, et en même temps ont démontre l'existence d'une série d'influences auxquelles ce processus est sujet. Ces influences, souvent associées à des phénomènes de discrimination et disparités sententielles, peuvent être associées à plusieurs aspects du processus, notamment à ceux qui prononcent le jugement, ceux qui sont jugés et au propre contexte du tribunal. Avec l’objectif d’explorer ce procès de décisions, on a réalisé trois études, deux qualitatives et une quantitative. Dans la première, on a fait une analyse du contenu de 93 moments de lecture des décisions de justice, spécifiquement dans ce qui concerne les contenus verbalises qui sont au-delà de la lecture de ce type de document. Dans la deuxième, on a analysé les réponses des 49 juges des tribunaux criminels de Porto, Coimbra et Lisbonne au “Questionnaire d'Analyse de Prise de Décisions Judiciaires”, élaboré par Castro-Rodrigues et Sacau. Dans la troisième étude, on a analysé les réponses des entrevues aux juges qui visait à agréger et explorer de façon plus approfondie les thématiques qu’on a trouvé dans les deux études précédentes. Généralement les résultats ont démontré que les juges présentent des différences dans l’interprétation de la loi et ont aussi montré une série de “matières sensibles” passibles d’une plus grande discorde et subjectivité parmi lesquelles les règles de l’expérience, les situations qui atténuent ou font grandir l’importance des actions, l’évaluation du regret et l’attitude des accusés, au tribunal, les considérations dans ce qui concerne à leurs problèmes sociaux et psychologiques si bien que d’autres problèmes qui peuvent être la cause ou la motivation de leurs crimes. Plusieurs de ces éléments à l'appui certains domaines du processus sententielle où les considérations et les évaluations effectuées montrent lacunes en termes des savoirs sociaux et psychologiques, ce qui en rend nécessaire la formation et le support des techniques spécialisés

O processo de tomada de decisão sentencial: análise de fatores implicados na concretização do Direito penal

Tese apresentada à Universidade Fernando Pessoa como parte dos requisitos para obtenção do grau de Doutor em Ciências Sociais, especialidade em PsicologiaEste trabalho pretende analisar o sentenciar de juízes e juízas em Portugal, enquanto agentes sociais atuantes em contexto real, procurando perceber melhor como a sua discricionariedade técnica se concretiza. A investigação das ciências sociais, tem apresentado dificuldade em encontrar um modelo de tomada de decisão que esgote ou explique de forma consensual o processo de sentenciar, e revelado a existência de uma série de aspetos que o influenciam. Estas influências, frequentemente associadas a fenómenos de discriminação e disparidade ao nível das sentenças, podem prender-se com várias faces do processo, designadamente com quem sentencia, com quem delinquiu e com o próprio contexto do tribunal. Com o propósito de explorar este processo decisório realizámos três estudos, dois qualitativos e um quantitativo. No primeiro, fizemos a análise de conteúdo de 93 leituras de acórdãos, especificamente no que diz respeito aos conteúdos verbalizados, para além da leitura daquele documento. No segundo, analisámos as respostas de 49 juízes/as dos tribunais criminais de Porto, Coimbra e Lisboa ao ‘Questionário de Análise da Tomada de Decisões Judiciais’, desenvolvido por Castro-Rodrigues e Sacau. No terceiro, procedemos à análise de conteúdo de entrevistas a juízes e juízas que agregavam as temáticas surgidas nos estudos anteriores, permitindo a sua exploração de forma mais aprofundada. Globalmente, os resultados mostraram que os/as juízes/as apresentam diferenças nas suas escolhas com base na sua abordagem à interpretação da lei, e detetaram uma série de ‘áreas sensíveis’ passíveis de maior discórdia e subjetivação, entre as quais, as regras da experiência, as situações que diminuem ou aumentam a gravidade dos atos, a avaliação de arrependimento e da postura dos/as arguidos/as em tribunal, as considerações respeitantes a aspetos sociais e psicológicos de quem delinquiu, assim como situações que podem estar na base da criminalidade, quer enquanto causa, quer enquanto motivação. Vários destes elementos substanciam-se em áreas do sentenciar onde as avaliações e considerações efetuadas demonstram lacunas em termos sociais e psicológicos, o que apela à necessidade de formação intencional e de apoio técnico nestas matérias.This research intends to analyse the reality of sentencing by judges in Portugal, as social agents acting in real professional context, with the intention of better understanding how judicial discretion is implemented. Research in the social sciences areas, has presented difficulties in finding a consensual decision making model that fully addresses and explains the sentencing process, and such research also has demonstrated the existence of several influences over the decision-making process. Such influences, which frequently are associated to discrimination and sentence disparities, may relate to different elements of the sentencing process, namely the judge, the defendant and even the context of the court. For the purpose of exploring this decisional process we developed three studies, two qualitative and one quantitative. In the first we carried out a content analysis of 93 sentence pronouncements, looking at the content beyond the reading of the sentence. In the second we analysed the responses of 49 judges from the criminal courts of Porto, Lisbon and Coimbra to the “Judicial Decision-Making Analysis Questionnaire”, developed by Castro-Rodrigues e Sacau. In the third, we analysed the judges’ answers to an interview that aimed to aggregate and explore the themes that arose from the first two studies. On the whole, the results demonstrated that judges differ considerably in their choices based on the way they approach the interpretation of law, and revealed a number of ‘sensitive themes’ prone to disagreement and subjectivity, such as, the rules of experience, the circunstances that mitigate and aggravate the seriousness of the offense, the assessment of defendant’s repentance and behavior in court, the considerations regarding social and psychological aspects of the defendant, as well as situations that might be in the basis of criminality, either as a cause, or as a motivation. Several of these elements substantiate sentencing areas where the considerations and judgements reveal some gaps in terms of social and psychological knowledge, which call for more intentional training and technical support on those themes.Ce travail veut analyser les sentences rendues par des juges, dans le contexte portugais, tandis que des agentes sociaux en actuation effective et en situation réelle, cherchant meilleur comprendre comme la discrétionairité technique de qui fait les jugements, se concrétise. La recherche en sciences sociales, a montrée des difficultés pour trouver un modèle de prise de décision capable d’épuiser le processus sententielle ou de l'expliquer de façon consensuelle, et en même temps ont démontre l'existence d'une série d'influences auxquelles ce processus est sujet. Ces influences, souvent associées à des phénomènes de discrimination et disparités sententielles, peuvent être associées à plusieurs aspects du processus, notamment à ceux qui prononcent le jugement, ceux qui sont jugés et au propre contexte du tribunal. Avec l’objectif d’explorer ce procès de décisions, on a réalisé trois études, deux qualitatives et une quantitative. Dans la première, on a fait une analyse du contenu de 93 moments de lecture des décisions de justice, spécifiquement dans ce qui concerne les contenus verbalises qui sont au-delà de la lecture de ce type de document. Dans la deuxième, on a analysé les réponses des 49 juges des tribunaux criminels de Porto, Coimbra et Lisbonne au “Questionnaire d'Analyse de Prise de Décisions Judiciaires”, élaboré par Castro-Rodrigues et Sacau. Dans la troisième étude, on a analysé les réponses des entrevues aux juges qui visait à agréger et explorer de façon plus approfondie les thématiques qu’on a trouvé dans les deux études précédentes. Généralement les résultats ont démontré que les juges présentent des différences dans l’interprétation de la loi et ont aussi montré une série de “matières sensibles” passibles d’une plus grande discorde et subjectivité parmi lesquelles les règles de l’expérience, les situations qui atténuent ou font grandir l’importance des actions, l’évaluation du regret et l’attitude des accusés, au tribunal, les considérations dans ce qui concerne à leurs problèmes sociaux et psychologiques si bien que d’autres problèmes qui peuvent être la cause ou la motivation de leurs crimes. Plusieurs de ces éléments à l'appui certains domaines du processus sententielle où les considérations et les évaluations effectuées montrent lacunes en termes des savoirs sociaux et psychologiques, ce qui en rend nécessaire la formation et le support des techniques spécialisés

Intimate partner violence: Perceptions and attributions of male perpetrators

here are many reasons to perpetrate intimate partner violence (IPV). This study analyzes the attributions and perceptions of Portuguese men who perpetrate IPV to understand their justifications for violence against their female partners. In-depth interviews were conducted with seven male perpetrators. Through thematic analysis, three main categories emerged: self, partner, and situational factors. Perpetrators identified self attributes as justifications to abuse, such as individual characteristics, emotional disturbances, and jealousy; partner attributes, such as partners’ characteristics and the use of violence against them; and situational factors, such as alcohol abuse and relational stressors. Perpetrators’ narratives evidenced a tendency to conceive violence as an unintentional and unplanned action, attributing violence to uncontrollable factors, and an attitude of non-accountability for their behaviors/actions. A deeper understanding of perpetrators’ perceptions and attributions for IPV will help to develop more effective intervention programs with offenders or to improve the existent ones, for example, in terms of dropout prevention, to reduce violence against women.Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia - FCTinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Words matter: Judges’ value judgments in sentence pronouncements remarks.

This study examines judges’ value judgments on their remarks during sentence pronouncements. We performed a content analysis of 93 sentence pronouncements from the 13 judges from a Portuguese criminal court. Within these discourses, 299 discourse units were codifed as judges’ value judgments, that is, personal contents beyond strict legal issues. From these 299, 107 were recommendations (comprehending advice to change, to not reofend, to rethink life, and action instructions), and 192 were opinions about the individual, the society, and the judicial system. The existence of value judgments in sentence pronouncements carries important implications for the sentencing process. Namely, these value judgments allow the identifcation of judges’ personal ideas, and issues particularly vulnerable for simplistic reasonings, as well as subjective considerations. This identifcation and the discussion on the powerful role of language in the context of sentencing are key features to strengthen judges’ training and, consequently, to improve the implementation of penal justice.Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia - FCTinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

In or out: Justice-involved women characterization and their perceptions about penal sanctions.

Women incarceration rates in Portugal are rising, nevertheless, noncustodial sanctions should be chosen, whenever possible. This paper aims to understand which women are being sentenced to noncustodial sanctions and which are not, and what they think about their penalty, considering that the penalties’ effectiveness is linked to how they are experienced. A self-report questionnaire was administered to 152 Portuguese women serving custodial and non-custodial sentences. Results demonstrated that women were not spared from prison, regardless of their parental and marital situation and whether or not this was their first penalty or if it was a nonviolent crime conviction. The women generally considered their sentences to be unfair, and rehabilitation was not considered the purpose guiding judges’ sentencing decisions. Implications for the rehabilitation of justice-involved women are discussed since these perceptions might compromise their adherence to the penalties and minimize its effectiveness.Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia - FCT; FEDERinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Saúde e reclusão: de uma breve contextualização do fenómeno ao papel dos profissionais de saúde

Os grupos em situação de exclusão social estão sobrerrepresentados na população reclusa, sendo que as desigualdades económicas e sociais estão muitas vezes relacionadas com diferenças no acesso aos serviços de saúde. Como resultado, a população reclusa apresenta um nível de saúde significativamente inferior ao da população geral. Os profissionais de saúde que trabalham em contextos prisionais confrontam-se, assim, com uma série de dificuldades, ligadas não só a aspetos próprios do fenómeno da reclusão, como também a particularidades da própria população. No presente trabalho partimos da reflexão em torno de algumas questões relacionadas com a saúde em contexto prisional, chegando a um conjunto de medidas e princípios operativos.Prison population is overrepresented by social disadvantaged groups. These economic and social inequalities are often related to differences in access to health services. As a result, prison population has a lower level of health compared to general population. Health care providers must face a number of difficulties, which are not only linked to the characteristics of confinement, but also derived by individual characteristics. In this work, we start from a reflection on some issues related to health in the prison context, arriving at a set of measures and operating principles.Les groupes en situation d’exclusion sociale sont surreprésentés dans la population carcérale. Ces inégalités économiques et sociales sont souvent liées à des différences dans l’accès aux services de santé. En conséquence, la population carcérale présente un niveau de santé nettement inférieur à celui de la population en général. Le professionnel de santé travaillant en milieu carcéral est confronté avec un certain nombre de difficultés, liées non seulement aux caractéristiques du phénomène d’emprisonnement, mais également à des spécificités provenant de la population elle-même. Avec ce travail nous nous appuyons sur une réflexion autour de certaines questions liées à la santé en milieu carcéral, afin d’arriver à une série de démarches et principes opérationnels

Alfabetización en salud en contexto penitenciario: Programa de Educación por pares

El presente trabajo describe la planificación de un programa de educación para la salud en contexto penitenciario, utilizó una metodología comunitaria y de educación por pares. El programa tenía como objetivo aumentar el bien estar físico y emocional de los internos y dotarlos de estrategias para poder enfrentar los retos de la reclusión. Identificamos las necesidades de intervención a través de entrevistas a informadores clave y a los internos. Posteriormente, diseñamos e implementamos la intervención, desarrollando ocho sesiones que evaluamos con un cuestionario. Fueron elaborados carteles divulgativos de mensajes de salud para transferir conocimientos a los restantes internos

Total lipids, fatty acid composition, total cholesterol and lipid-soluble antioxidant vitamins in the longissimus lumborum muscle of water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) from different production systems of the Brazilian Eastern Amazon

Research Areas: Agriculture ; Veterinary Sciences ; ZoologyThe aim of this study was to analyze the influence of distinct production systems and seasonal variation in the Brazilian Eastern Amazon on the meat lipid composition of water buffaloes. Water buffaloes were reared in commercial farms in the Eastern Amazon either in extensive systems (Marajó Island, Nova Timboteua and Santarém locations), during rainy or dry seasons, or intensive (feedlot) systems. Animals reared in extensive systems were fed natural pastures, and those reared in feedlots were fed sorghum silage and commercial pellets. Buffaloes were slaughtered and ribeye muscle (longissimus lumborum) samples collected. Lipid-soluble antioxidant vitamins and fatty acids were analyzed. The nutritional value of meat from buffaloes reared in Marajó Island extensive system during the rainy season was higher than that of other systems, as it had lower levels of cholesterol and higher amounts of α-tocopherol associated with higher hypocholesterolaemic/hypercholesterolaemic ratio and lower index of atherogenic. Also, this meat had lower percentages of saturated fatty acids and higher proportions of mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), particularly n-3 PUFA, with increased PUFA/saturated fatty acids ratio and decreased n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio. However, all extensive systems produced meat with a relatively low index of thrombogenicity values, which is advantageous for human healthinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio