Zúñiga explains that her research interests are narrative criminology, prison systems and life in prison. She has previously been involved in research about organized crime and policing.  Between 2015 and 2017, Zúñiga was head of department of organized crime, for the Chilean Ministry of Interior and Public security.

- My current project is about narratives from the prison. I am doing life stories about female and male prisoners who has been incarcerated for different types of crimes.  

She explains that the main focus is to try to see how do they present themselves to others in different social situations and within different social structure and why they become involved in crime. 

If we want to have less crime and less violent societies, then we need to return to a classic question: why do people commit crimes? If we deeply understand their reasons to break the law, then it would be easier to try to desist.

Photo: Valeria Gentil.

Why did you choose to come to the Department of Criminology?
- In my PhD program there are no criminologists or professors from other disciplines working within this research topic. Thus, I choose to come to Stockholm to share my research with specialists in this area and  to complement the feedback I have thus far received from my university, Zúñiga explains.

I have received very good contributions and comments [during a recent seminair] that lead me think around different concepts and ways to understand my finding so far.
 

on the 25th of October Liza Zúñiga Collado is doing an Open Lecture at hte Nordic Institute of Latin American Studies on Latin American States and the challenge of organized crime.