Bio

Ulda O. Figueroa is a Visiting Scholar in the School of Criminal Justice at Rutgers University. He is also chief researcher of the criminal justice division of “Justicia y Sociedad UC”, a research and policy center at the Universidad Católica de Chile (https://justiciaysociedad.uc.cl/).

His research focuses on crime control institutions in Latin America. Specifically he studies how structural components of criminal justice institutions and their routine decision-making facilitate or obstruct the achievement of social welfare goals. Some of his recent work focuses on the role of criminal justice institutions in the social unrest experienced in Chile in 2019 [(https://politcrim.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Vol17N34A1.pdf]. In addition, he has published about prosecution and restorative justice [https://journals-sagepub-com.pucdechile.idm.oclc.org/doi/10.1177/17488958231175994].  In addition, his research  has been instrumental to promote policy changes in Chile for juvenile offenders, drug courts, alternatives to incarceration for women with children, among others. He has co-authored research proposals to support the work of the Chilean constitutional convention of 2021, including new guidelines to update the national public safety framework for the Chilean goverment.

His current research focuses on two topics: an exploratory work on the uses and practices of pretrial diversion in criminal justice in Chile, and a comparative study between Chile and Colombia on rights protection practices in prison and reentry programs.

Publications

Galleguillos, S., & Figueroa, U. O. (2023). Is it part of my job? Prosecution and restorative justice in Chile. Criminology & Criminal Justice, 0(0). Available online at: https://journals-sagepub-com.pucdechile.idm.oclc.org/doi/10.1177/17488958231175994

Morales, A. Figueroa, U. Bustamante, C (2022). Criminal justice during the social outburst of 2019 in Santiago de Chile. Legality and fair treatment in the judicial control of arrests made during the 2019 riots.. Revista Política Criminal. Available online at: https://politcrim.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Vol17N34A1.pdf]

Morales, A. Figueroa U. Valenzuela, M (editors) (2021). Towards a citizen approach to security. Cross-cutting proposals for the constitutional regulation of the security and criminal justice system. Available online at: https://www.cconstituyente.cl/comisiones/verDoc.aspx?prmID=1306&prmTipo=DOCUMENTO_COMISION  

Morales, A.; Ortiz, P.; Hurtado, M,; Figueroa, U,; Polanco, D.; Muñoz, N (2019). Social exclusion in persons deprived of liberty. Book chapter in: The unsustainable situation of prisons in Chile. Debates on prison and human rights. Editorial jurídica de Chile.

Morales, A. Moraga, G. Figueroa, U. (2018). Impact and cost-beneficit of drug courts in Chile. Inter-american development bank. Available online at https://pazciudadana.cl/download/9089/

Morales, A., Moraga, G., Bustamante, C., Chacon, A., Figueroa, U. (2017). Implementation and impact evaluation of the 24 hours family care program – “lazos” (multisistemic therapy program in Chile) Available online at: https://lazos.spd.gov.cl/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Informe-Evaluacion-de-Impacto-Programa-Lazos.pdf