Crime and Penalty Study Center

The Crime and Penalty Study Center of FGV Sao Paulo Law School produces knowledge on criminal law, criminal procedural law, constitutional law, human rights, and criminology. Currently, the criminal situation is especially relevant in the Brazilian legal-political scenario; given that, the nucleus has created its research agenda to address several urgent themes. Among them, we mention the Brazilian prison system, with the Federal Supreme Court (STF) declaring the unconstitutional state of affairs); the collective Habeas Corpus for pregnant women incarcerated or mothers of children up to 12 years old; the violence practiced by State agents and the functioning of the justice system regarding human rights violations; the role of criminal law in social movements; and the functioning of the criminal justice system in cases of corruption, with a focus on critical analyses of the Car Wash Operation.

The activities developed by the Center involve studies on the Judiciary, Executive, and Legislative Branches, combining empirical research with theoretical and dogmatic reflection on criminal law, criminal procedure, and constitutional law. The research agenda is connected to the “Institutions of the Ruled-based Democracy and Political and Social Development”, of the Academic Master’s and PhD Programs at FGV Sao Paulo Law School.