Founded in 2014 and dedicated to publishing articles in criminology.
Vilniaus universiteto leidykla / Vilnius University Press
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Between Support and Distrust: Interpersonal Relationships Among Inmates at the Panevėžys Prison
<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; display: inline !important; float: none;">This article examines interpersonal relationships among incarcerated women in Panevėžys Prison, paying particular attention to how support, intimacy, distrust, and informal power relations intertwine in the everyday social reality of the prison. The study is based on a qualitative approach: one week of ethnographic observation and informal conversations at Panevėžys Prison, complemented by 27 semi-structured interviews with imprisoned women and prison staff. The empirical analysis reveals three intersecting axes of everyday relationships. First, distrust functions not as an individual strategy but as a collective norm, best captured by the principle “the walls have ears”: personal information is continuously perceived as a potential object of exchange and pressure. Second, the distribution of informal power in Panevėžys Prison is structured not by a classical subcultural hierarchy, but by situational resources – primarily money, the capacity to manipulate, and social “backing” – through which both service exchanges and practices of rejection are negotiated. Third, the forms of support and intimacy – singular bonds of trust, romantic relationships, and the patronage of younger women by older ones – are not pure but continuously intertwined with the logic of economic exchange and informal control. The article argues that support and distrust are not opposing or mutually exclusive forms of relationship. On the contrary, they often coexist within the same bond: a close relationship can provide emotional safety while simultaneously becoming a source of dependence, control, or vulnerability. Such a structure of relationships allows Panevėžys Prison to be understood as a social space in which enforced collectivism, individualized survival strategies, and practices of economic manipulation shape a distinctive everyday reality of women’s imprisonment.
Copyright (c) 2026 Karolina Vysockytė https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Characteristics of Women Who Perpetrated Intimate Partner Homicide, Their Experience of Violence, and Punitive Practices
<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; display: inline !important; float: none;">This article examines intimate partner homicides perpetrated by women, deconstructing the traditional conception of the “female offender” as one who has renounced her feminine nature, and instead focusing on the duality of the offending and victimized woman. A mixed-method empirical study was conducted with the aim of revealing the characteristics of women who have perpetrated intimate partner homicide, their experiences of violence, and punitive practices in Lithuania. A quantitative content analysis of first-instance criminal court convictions, combined with semi-structured interviews with women serving fixed-term custodial sentences at Panevėžys Prison and prison staff, revealed that women who perpetrated homicide commonly exhibit social vulnerability associated with unemployment, limited education, alcohol use, and intimate partner violence, which emerges as a significant source of strain. Although approximately two-thirds of the defendants stated during the trial that they had previously experienced intimate partner violence, the majority had rarely sought formal institutional support due to distrust in its effectiveness or social stigma. The findings further indicate that these homicides were typically perpetrated without qualifying circumstances, were unplanned, and situational in nature. Accordingly, the sentences imposed by courts were generally below the statutory average and were significantly influenced by the recognition of provocative or risky behaviour by the victim, as well as other mitigating circumstances. Finally, the article briefly discusses women’s subjective perceptions of the justness of their sentences, revealing disappointment with the insufficient consideration of their experiences of violent victimization in the determination of criminal liability.
Copyright (c) 2026 Akvilė Tamulytė https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Copyright (c) 2025 Authors https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
The Ideal Prison Officer Reconsidered: Between Institutional Expectations and Everyday Practice
<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; display: inline !important; float: none;">The article examines the role of prison officers in contemporary penal systems, with particular attention to the distribution of power, the influence of managerial governance, and the duality of officers’ professional functions. Drawing on theoretical and empirical research (Bennett, 2024; Crewe, 2011; Liebling & Crewe, 2013), it analyses how a shifting approach to imprisonment, centred on “soft power,” standardised procedures, and bureaucratic mechanisms, transforms the everyday practices of prison staff. The article explores the challenges emerging in the Lithuanian prison system within the context of managerial reforms, where local traditions interact with global governance models, producing a unique, hybrid penal reality. Based on a qualitative study involving Lithuanian prison staff (including contact officers, policymakers, and trade union representatives), the article reveals a fundamental gap between the declared goals of penal system reforms and the lived realities of prison life. On the one hand, the Lithuanian prison system is moving toward Western standards, emphasising social reintegration and introducing managerial principles. On the other hand, deeper staff cultures and practices are changing more slowly, with employees perceiving the reforms as largely declarative and challenging to implement in practice. Contact officers involved in the study feel like hostages of the system, bound by formal procedures rather than being able to build relationships with prisoners that they prioritise. The findings indicate that meaningful progress requires actively including staff in the reform process: addressing their material and emotional needs and creating conditions that allow them to perform their evolving functions effectively.
Copyright (c) 2024 Rūta Vaičiūnienė | Goda Dainauskaitė https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Who Gets to Be a Victim? How Media and Stereotypes Shape Perceptions of Sexual Crimes
<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; display: inline !important; float: none;">Crimes against a person’s freedom of sexual self-determination are complex and sensitive, violating fundamental rights and causing significant psychological harm. Public attitudes towards these crimes are often shaped by misconceptions and stereotypes, such as the “ideal victim” and “presumed perpetrator,” which bias perceptions. Nils Christie’s concept of the “ideal victim” highlights society’s preference for victims seen as innocent and vulnerable, fostering empathy only for those who fit this mold. Similarly, the “presumed perpetrator” stereotype frames offenders as deviant and powerful, attribution. When individuals deviate from these stereotypes, victim-blaming and bias can arise, simplifying attribution of blame. The analysis focuses on how the characteristics of victims and perpetrators influence the attribution of guilt within the context of Lithuanian society. The content analysis of mass media and criminal convictions explores how societal perceptions are shaped and how emphasising certain traits reflects ideologies surrounding “real rape” and the “ideal victim.” Additionally, qualitative semi-structured interviews examine the influence of these ideas on the attribution of guilt.
Copyright (c) 2024 Rasita Adomaitytė https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Sentencing practice and the development of prison population rates in Germany and Lithuania in a European comparative perspective
<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; display: inline !important; float: none;">The incarceration rate of a country is indicative of the nature of its penal policy and the degree of repression it entails. Even in European countries, there is considerable variation. Furthermore, there are disparate trends in its evolution, which elicit disparate responses from different countries. In some countries, low prison populations are regarded as a significant indicator of a moderate and rational penal policy. As they begin to rise, efforts are made to identify strategies for reducing them. Conversely, in other countries, they are accorded less attention until overcrowding becomes a problem. Criminological research indicates that imprisonment is an ineffective and detrimental practice and should only be employed as a last resort with the objective of facilitating resocialisation. The number of individuals incarcerated on an annual basis in a specific country is primarily contingent upon political decisions. A comparison of prison populations and penal policy measures in different countries provides a more nuanced understanding of the effectiveness of the measures taken and allows for a more informed assessment of the need for, and potential for, reform in one’s own country in the context of another. This paper analyses punishment practices and trends in prison populations in Germany and Lithuania in comparison to other European countries. Despite political change and various social and economic developments, Germany has been characterised by a stable and declining prison population in recent years. This example is pertinent to countries that have invested significant resources into reducing their prison populations, such as Lithuania and other Baltic countries, and has achieved notable success. It is also relevant to countries where the prison population has shown a marked increase in recent years. The paper aims to explain the reasons for declining prison populations in Germany and Lithuania and to identify effective strategies and measures that can be implemented to ensure a consistent and sustained reduction in the prison population.
Copyright (c) 2025 Frieder Dünkel | Wolfgang Heinz | Gintautas Sakalauskas https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Copyright (c) 2023 Authors https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Narratives of Women Offenders: Difficult Paths to Prison
<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; display: inline !important; float: none;">Life-course criminology endeavors to comprehend the intricate interplay between individual traits, societal surroundings, and life occurrences that shape patterns of criminal behavior. Within this framework, the concept of life trajectories leading to criminality has emerged, underscoring the importance of scrutinizing women‘s narratives. This entails examining their childhood experiences, and adult challenges, and identifying circumstances that foster recidivism. The present publication unveils condensed accounts of female inmates at Panevėžys (Lithuania) women‘s prison, categorized into four trajectories: the typical woman or random offender, the victimized woman, the chronic offender, and the woman belonging to a marginalized cohort.
Copyright (c) 2024 Rimantė Gaičevskytė-Savickė https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
How Does Themis Weigh Drugs? Peculiarities of the Legal Regulation of the Determination of Quantities of Some Narcotic and Psychotropic Substances in Lithuania
<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; display: inline !important; float: none;">This article delves into the legal framework concerning threshold quantities for drug offences in Lithuania and examines the potential implications of this regulation on criminal liability. It initiates by scrutinizing criminal liability for drug offences in Lithuania, with an emphasis on the legal significance of the type and quantity of specific substances. It is worth noting that existing legal acts lack defined criteria for determining small, large, or very large quantities of the narcotic and psychotropic substances. Nevertheless, the legal qualification of criminal activities and associated penalties is contingent upon the specific quantity of the drug. Furthermore, certain quantities stipulated in the Recommendations for determining small, large, and very large quantities of narcotic and psychotropic substances have raised concerns about their alignment with the latest scientific findings and empirical evidence. In light of these concerns, there is a compelling need for a review of these recommendations, guided by clearly defined and evidence-based criteria. Until such a review is conducted, the deficiencies in the existing legal regulations could be partially mitigated if courts, within the discretion granted to them, proactively exceed the quantity limits established by the recommendations.
Copyright (c) 2023 Mindaugas Lankauskas https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0