The punitive turn in Spain. Is the welfare state able to resist it?

  • Deborah García Magna Universidad de Málaga
Keywords: Law and order model, penal reforms, Spanish penal Code, Welfare State, punitiveness

Abstract

In recent years there is a tendency to carry out penal reforms in Spain very often, as it also happens in other countries. During its twenty years of existence, the Spanish penal code has already been modified more than 30 times, on an average of more than one penal reform by year. Most of them have increased punitiveness by widening the categories of crimes, raising the penalties, and making the penitentiary system less flexible, especially for some criminal offences, all leading to a very high prison population. The investigation has shown that there are many processes and practices indicating that the law and order model is consolidating itself in the Spanish penal system, leading to a punitive turn. Nevertheless this process has a different intensity at each phase, being stronger at the legislative stage and softer in the penitentiary enforcement phase. One of the main conclusions is, therefore, that the designed instrument is ideal for measuring the degree of penetration of the model throughout the system.

Received: 12 April 2018
Accepted: 25 June 2018
Published online: 03 August 2018

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Author Biography

Deborah García Magna, Universidad de Málaga

Profesora Colaboradora de Derecho Penal

Published
2018-08-03
How to Cite
García Magna, Deborah. 2018. “The Punitive Turn in Spain. Is the Welfare State Able to Resist It?”. Estudios De Deusto 66 (1), 281-90. https://doi.org/10.18543/ed-66(1)-2018pp281-290.
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