The Centre for Criminology (KrimZ) - an Overview

The Centre for Criminology (KrimZ) located in Wiesbaden, Germany, acts as an intermediary between various disciplines of science, criminal law and administration, between conceptualisation, planning and practise in criminal justice.

Documentation of research and criminological literature is one of the central tasks. To provide this service for practitioners and scientists, cooperation with other information centres and database providers is as essential as establishing and maintaining its own documentation system.

The mediation task of the KrimZ is also designed to enhance the dialogue between criminology and practice, and initiate and improve cooperation. Conferences present useful occasions for this purpose.

Moreover, the KrimZ also works on criminological findings, focussing on the analysis of statistical data relevant for criminology and on secondary analysis of research results. Last but not least, the Centre also conducts its own empirical research projects. These are mainly nationwide studies in the area of criminal justice.

Research projects and scientific analyses

Current research

• Cooperation of police and public prosecution
• Dangerous sexual offenders
• Prevention of right-wing extremism
• Social therapy in correctional institutions
• Sports in prisons
• Strategies to limit the length of detention on remand

Focus of finished projects

• The treatment of mentally ill or drug addicted offenders in forensic-psychiatric facilities
• Social service in the criminal justice system
• Community service instead of fines
• Public prosecution of occasional drug use
• Criminal careers of sex offenders
• Smuggling of illegal immigrants
• Handling petty crimes in a district of Bavaria
• Handling alcoholic offenders

Some earlier projects

• Alcoholic offenders in prison
• Community service as a criminal sanction
• Criminal careers of sex offenders
• Handling petty crimes in a district of Bavaria
• Hospital orders for mentally disordered offenders
• Public prosecution of occasional drug use
• Social services in the criminal justice system
• Trafficking in human beings