On November 10, 2025, our team attended the 13th Young Penalists Symposium of the Brazilian Group of the International Association of Penal Law – AIDP, which had as its general theme “Criminal Law in Expansion: Critical Reflections on the Expansion of the Punitive System in Latin American Contexts”.
The meeting was held at EMERJ, the Judicial School of the State of Rio de Janeiro, and live streamed via the Zoom platform.
Team research on hyperincarceration in Brazil
Our partners Rodrigo da Rocha Gurgel do Amaral and intern Marina Johas presented the paper entitled
“Rationalities of punishment and the production of hyperincarceration in Brazil”.
In the study, the authors examined how certain punitive logics, often naturalized in legal and political discourse, have contributed to legitimizing mass incarceration policies, expanding the criminal system and deepening the phenomenon of hyperincarceration in the country.
Participation in the closing panel
Partner Matheus Kauss Vellasco took part in the symposium’s closing panel, dedicated to a general debate on the expansion of criminal law in Latin American contexts. His participation connected several panels and addressed trends and challenges in criminal law.
Relevance of the symposium
Organized by the International Association of Penal Law – AIDP, in partnership with EMERJ, the symposium brought together young researchers, lawyers, judges, members of the Public Prosecutor’s Office, public defenders and students from all over the country to discuss the future of the criminal justice system in Latin America.