Forensic Psychological Assessment of a Homicide at Calomboloca Prison from 2020 to 2021
Keywords:
Forensic psychological evaluation, Crime, Homicide, PrisonAbstract
This study aimed to understand forensic psychological evaluation as a professional activity for diagnosing mild, moderate, and severe mental disorders that trigger crimes against persons, specifically homicide in Angola. It specifically aimed to analyze the operational conceptions of psychologists working at the Calomboloca Prison (Icolo e Bengo, Luanda Province) from 2020 to 2021. The Angolan judicial system and auxiliary agencies, such as the Criminal Investigation Service (SIC) and the Penitentiary Service, face growing concern regarding the population deprived of liberty for simple and qualified homicide offences. Methodologically, this qualitative, exploratory applied research utilized direct observation, active listening, and semi-structured interviews to collect data from a non-probabilistic sample of six psychologists. Data were processed using content analysis techniques divided into thematic domains, categories, and subcategories. Results indicated that follow-up interviews are the primary method employed by psychologists in prison settings within special assessment programs for penal control, while personality, behavior, and criminal sentiments are the most frequently assessed constructs during sentence execution. We propose the development of public policies combined with ongoing specialized training for psychologists to meet the demands of criminal responsibility and non-imputability within the national justice and human rights system.