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Att tala genom straff: Synen på straffets ändamål i Straffreformutredningen

Rosén, Julia LU (2025) JURM02 20252
Department of Law
Faculty of Law
Abstract
This thesis analyses how the purpose of punishment is articulated in ”Straff-
reformutredningen”(the report for the proposed criminal law reform in Swe-
den, SOU 2025:66). The aim is to examine which penal theories gain the
greatest influence in the report and what this direction reflects in terms of
underlying conceptions of the purpose of punishment. Particular attention is
paid to how punishment – especially imprisonment – is justified in a context
where crime rates have not increased at a pace corresponding to the overall
growth of punishment. A key premise is therefore that factors other than
crime levels, including a more severe view of certain forms of criminality,
may underlie the reform.
The thesis is grounded in social... (More)
This thesis analyses how the purpose of punishment is articulated in ”Straff-
reformutredningen”(the report for the proposed criminal law reform in Swe-
den, SOU 2025:66). The aim is to examine which penal theories gain the
greatest influence in the report and what this direction reflects in terms of
underlying conceptions of the purpose of punishment. Particular attention is
paid to how punishment – especially imprisonment – is justified in a context
where crime rates have not increased at a pace corresponding to the overall
growth of punishment. A key premise is therefore that factors other than
crime levels, including a more severe view of certain forms of criminality,
may underlie the reform.
The thesis is grounded in social constructivism and post-structuralism and
employs a discourse-analytical approach, primarily Carol Bacchi’s WPR
method (What’s the Problem Represented to be?). This method is used to
analyse how problems and solutions are constructed in the report, and what
discourses this reveals. The analysis is supplemented by a legal-analytical
method in order to situate the discourse within a criminal law context. As
comparative material, historical parliamentary documents from two earlier
major periods of penal reform are also included and analysed using the same
discourse-analytical approach: the introduction of the cellular prison system
in the nineteenth century and the legislative work leading to the 1965 Penal
Code during the twentieth century. These reforms are examined to illumi-
nate how conceptions of the purpose of punishment have shifted over time
and to enable a historical comparison with the present reform.
The analysis demonstrates that the report largely constructs the current state
of criminality in Sweden as system-threatening and presents a more repres-
sive penal system as a necessary response. Although the reform to some ex-
tent discusses general and individual deterrence, its reasoning is to a signifi-
cant degree characterised by elements associated with absolute theories of
punishment. The most prominent of these are retribution, redress for victims
and the communicative function of punishment. The victim–perspective is
given a central role in the report and, in certain respects, serves to downplay
the lack of empirical support for the crime-preventive effects of harsher pu-
nishments.
The thesis further shows that the reform only to a limited extent problemati-
ses the practical consequences of a substantial expansion of imprisonment,
such as its effects on recidivism, correctional services, and humanitarian
principles. Instead, the symbolic and communicative significance of pu-
nishment emerges as particularly important. The analysis indicates that the
report marks a shift in criminal policy, whereby the legitimacy of pu-
nishment is increasingly grounded in its expression of moral judgment rat-
her than in evidence-based crime-preventive effects. (Less)
Abstract (Swedish)
Denna uppsats analyserar hur synen på straffets ändamål kommer till ut-
tryck i Straffreformutredningen (SOU 2025:66 En straffreform). Syftet är att
undersöka vilka straffteoretiska principer som får störst genomslag i utred-
ningen och dess tillhörande direktiv, samt vad denna riktning reflekterar för
grundläggande föreställningar om straffets funktion. Särskilt fokus ligger på
hur straff, i synnerhet fängelsestraffet, motiveras i ett läge där brottsligheten
inte ökat i motsvarande takt som straffmassan. En utgångspunkt är därmed
att det kan finnas andra skäl, däribland en strängare syn på vissa typer av
brottslighet, som motiverar reformen.
Uppsatsen tar sin teoretiska utgångspunkt i socialkonstruktivism och post-
strukturalism... (More)
Denna uppsats analyserar hur synen på straffets ändamål kommer till ut-
tryck i Straffreformutredningen (SOU 2025:66 En straffreform). Syftet är att
undersöka vilka straffteoretiska principer som får störst genomslag i utred-
ningen och dess tillhörande direktiv, samt vad denna riktning reflekterar för
grundläggande föreställningar om straffets funktion. Särskilt fokus ligger på
hur straff, i synnerhet fängelsestraffet, motiveras i ett läge där brottsligheten
inte ökat i motsvarande takt som straffmassan. En utgångspunkt är därmed
att det kan finnas andra skäl, däribland en strängare syn på vissa typer av
brottslighet, som motiverar reformen.
Uppsatsen tar sin teoretiska utgångspunkt i socialkonstruktivism och post-
strukturalism och använder diskursanalytisk metod, främst Carol Bacchis
WPR-metod (What’s the Problem Represented to be?). Metoden används
för att analysera hur problem och lösningar konstrueras i Straffreformutred-
ningen, vilka antaganden och värderingar som ligger till grund för denna
problemrepresentation samt vilka lösningar som blir givna utifrån den. Ana-
lysen kompletteras med en rättsanalytisk metod för att sätta diskursen i ett
straffrättsligt sammanhang. Som jämförelsematerial inkluderas även histo-
riska riksdagstryck från två tidigare stora straffrättsliga reformperioder,
vilka även de granskas med hjälp av diskursanalytisk metod. Dessa är infö-
randet av cellfängelsesystemet under 1800-talet och arbetet med 1965 års
brottsbalk under 1900-talet. Dessa reformer studeras för att belysa hur synen
på straffets ändamål förändrats över tid och för att möjliggöra en historisk
jämförelse med dagens straffreform.
Analysen visar att Straffreformutredningen i stor utsträckning konstruerar
dagens brottslighet som systemhotande och framställer ett mer repressivt
straffsystem som en nödvändig och självklar lösning på problemet. Även
om reformen till viss del diskuterar allmänpreventiva och individualpreven-
tiva syften med straff, präglas resonemangen i betydande delar av absoluta
straffteorier. De mest framträdande av dessa är vedergällning, upprättelse
och straffets kommunikativa funktion. Brottsofferperspektivet ges en central
roll i reformen, vilket i vissa delar ger effekten att empiriskt stöd för straf-
fens brottsförebyggande effekter saknas eller tonas ned.
Uppsatsen visar vidare att reformen i begränsad utsträckning problematise-
rar de praktiska konsekvenserna av ett kraftigt ökat frihetsberövande, såsom
effekter på återfall, kriminalvård och humanitetssträvanden. I stället fram-
står straffets symboliska och kommunikativa betydelse som särskilt framträ-
dande. Sammantaget indikerar analysen att Straffreformutredningen marke-
rar ett skifte i kriminalpolitiken, där straffets legitimitet i allt högre grad
grundas i dess uttryck för klander och moral, snarare än i dess evidensbase-
rade brottsförebyggande effekter. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Rosén, Julia LU
supervisor
organization
alternative title
Communicating through punishment: The view on the purpose of punishment in "Straffreformutredningen"
course
JURM02 20252
year
type
H3 - Professional qualifications (4 Years - )
subject
keywords
Straffrätt, rättshistoria, socialkonstruktivism, poststrukturalism, diskursanalys, WPR, straffteori, straffreform, Straffreformutredningen, SOU 2025:66
language
Swedish
id
9217237
date added to LUP
2026-01-16 11:20:08
date last changed
2026-01-16 11:20:08
@misc{9217237,
  abstract     = {{This thesis analyses how the purpose of punishment is articulated in ”Straff-
reformutredningen”(the report for the proposed criminal law reform in Swe-
den, SOU 2025:66). The aim is to examine which penal theories gain the
greatest influence in the report and what this direction reflects in terms of
underlying conceptions of the purpose of punishment. Particular attention is
paid to how punishment – especially imprisonment – is justified in a context
where crime rates have not increased at a pace corresponding to the overall
growth of punishment. A key premise is therefore that factors other than
crime levels, including a more severe view of certain forms of criminality,
may underlie the reform.
The thesis is grounded in social constructivism and post-structuralism and
employs a discourse-analytical approach, primarily Carol Bacchi’s WPR
method (What’s the Problem Represented to be?). This method is used to
analyse how problems and solutions are constructed in the report, and what
discourses this reveals. The analysis is supplemented by a legal-analytical
method in order to situate the discourse within a criminal law context. As
comparative material, historical parliamentary documents from two earlier
major periods of penal reform are also included and analysed using the same
discourse-analytical approach: the introduction of the cellular prison system
in the nineteenth century and the legislative work leading to the 1965 Penal
Code during the twentieth century. These reforms are examined to illumi-
nate how conceptions of the purpose of punishment have shifted over time
and to enable a historical comparison with the present reform.
The analysis demonstrates that the report largely constructs the current state
of criminality in Sweden as system-threatening and presents a more repres-
sive penal system as a necessary response. Although the reform to some ex-
tent discusses general and individual deterrence, its reasoning is to a signifi-
cant degree characterised by elements associated with absolute theories of
punishment. The most prominent of these are retribution, redress for victims
and the communicative function of punishment. The victim–perspective is
given a central role in the report and, in certain respects, serves to downplay
the lack of empirical support for the crime-preventive effects of harsher pu-
nishments.
The thesis further shows that the reform only to a limited extent problemati-
ses the practical consequences of a substantial expansion of imprisonment,
such as its effects on recidivism, correctional services, and humanitarian
principles. Instead, the symbolic and communicative significance of pu-
nishment emerges as particularly important. The analysis indicates that the
report marks a shift in criminal policy, whereby the legitimacy of pu-
nishment is increasingly grounded in its expression of moral judgment rat-
her than in evidence-based crime-preventive effects.}},
  author       = {{Rosén, Julia}},
  language     = {{swe}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Att tala genom straff: Synen på straffets ändamål i Straffreformutredningen}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}