Abteilung für Kriminologie, Jugendstrafrecht und Strafvollzug
Lehrstuhl für Strafrecht und Kriminologie

Courses in the summer semester 2025


Seminars


  • Dialogues on Criminal Justice – Stanford & Göttingen (Prof. Baur)
    The course is part of the internationalization of criminal law teaching. The aim of the seminar is to work out the differences and similarities in the administration of criminal justice in the USA and Germany. The focus will be on the police, court and prison systems. The seminar is divided into different phases. First, there will be an attendance phase for Göttingen students only (April and May 2025). This first seminar phase will include visits to a court hearing, a prison and the police. In August 2025, two Zoom sessions with students from Stanford Law School will provide a theoretical introduction to the comparative law aspects of the topic. This will be followed by practical phases in Stanford and Göttingen in September 2025. During a one-week stay at Stanford Law School, students from Göttingen will gain an insight into the practical work of the police, courts and prisons. Plans include “police-ride-a-longs”, visits to jury trials and tours of penal institutions. Students from Stanford Law School will then visit Göttingen for a week. The practical parts will be flanked by joint reading and reflection sessions in Stanford and Göttingen.
    The seminar will also be taught by Prof. Dr. David Sklansky, Prof. Dr. Robert Weisberg and Prof. Dr. Debbie Mukamal from Stanford Law School.
    The course will be held in English. A very good command of English is required. Participation is limited to six students.
    Efforts are currently underway to finance the travel costs for the Göttingen students. Further details on the selection procedure will be communicated during the preliminary meeting.
    The preliminary meeting is on January 22, 2025 at 12:00 am in the Criminology Library. Places will then be allocated by February 5, 2025.
    The seminar is offered to students of specialization area 6 (criminal sciences). It is possible to complete a preparatory assignment, a seminar paper or a student research project. Students from Bachelor's and Master's degree programs are also welcome.

  • Legal protection in the enforcement of criminal sanctions (Prof. Baur & Dr. Lederer)
    Even before the incidents at the Gablingen prison in Bavaria, it was well known that prisoners are in a particularly vulnerable situation when it comes to protecting their rights. What special problems are there? What legal instruments are available and are they legally viable? What non-legal solution strategies are there? How can assaults on prisoners be explained criminologically and how can prevention strategies be developed from this? In the seminar, these questions will be examined for the execution of different criminal sanctions (penal system, juvenile penal system, forensic correctional system, preventive detention). After an introduction to the topic, excursions to prisons and, where possible, discussions with prisoners and prison officers are planned. The seminar will be held together with the nationally renowned criminal defence lawyer Dr. Jenny Lederer.
    Participation is limited to eight students. Further details on the selection procedure will be communicated during the preliminary meeting.
    The preliminary meeting is on January 22, 2025 at 12:45 pm in the Criminology Library.
    The allocation of places will then take place by February 5, 2025. The seminar is an offer for students of specialization area 6 (criminal sciences). It is possible to complete a preparatory assignment, a seminar paper or a student research project. Students from Bachelor's and Master's degree programs are also welcome.

  • Current issues in criminology (Prof. Dessecker)
    Like all social sciences, criminology works with - more or less sophisticated - theoretical assumptions and diverse empirical research. Criminal law and related fields of law sometimes incorporate criminological findings, and the activities of law enforcement agencies and the judiciary have consequences that can be described using criminological methods. The seminar offers the opportunity to take up some current developments and examine them more closely.
    No registration is required for the preliminary meeting. The preliminary meeting is on January 31, 2025 at 2:15 pm in room VG 1.102.
    Prerequisite for participation in the seminar: basic knowledge of criminal law and criminology; the material of the lecture Criminology I should be known. The number of participants is limited, there are 20 places available.
    Registration for the seminar is possible after the preliminary discussion until Tuesday, February 5, 2025, at 12:00 noon on Stud.IP. Places will be allocated shortly after the registration period. If more registrations are received than there are seminar places available, the seminar places will be allocated by lottery. A move-up procedure will be set up for applications that are not considered. Students who have been allocated a place must register for the examination in FlexNow. This registration is binding. Make sure you select the correct type of examination. The activation for this will take place at the beginning of the first lecture-free week from Monday, February 10, 2025.
    The seminar is an offer for students of specialization area 6 (Criminal Sciences). It is possible to complete a preparatory assignment, a seminar paper or a student research project. Students from Bachelor's and Master's degree programs are also welcome.