Forskningsinformation

Dr Linda Kjær Minkes research is situated within the field of incarceration studies, with a particular focus on the Danish penal system and its foundational principle of normalization—an approach that seeks to align prison conditions with broader societal norms (Minke, 2021). Dr Minke’s scholarship critically examines the lived experiences of incarcerated individuals and the structural mechanisms that shape these experiences. One of her notable contributions is the exploration of prison outsourcing as a postcolonial strategy, interrogating the implications of transferring incarceration responsibilities across borders (Minke & Vanhouche, 2022). She has also made significant advances in the study of prison food systems, collaborating with international colleagues to analyse how food practices within correctional institutions reflect and reinforce broader social dynamics (Smoyer & Minke, 2019; Vanhouche, Smoyer & Minke, 2018; Minke & Smoyer, 2017; Smoyer & Minke, 2015; Minke, 2014). Dr Minke has further investigated the role of canine-assisted programmes in correctional settings, assessing their impact on inmate wellbeing and institutional culture (Minke, 2025; Minke, 2017; Minke & Holm-Sørensen, 2015). Her work also engages with the complex interplay between institutional order, social control, and prisoners’ legal rights, offering nuanced insights into how these forces shape the everyday realities of incarceration (Minke, 2023; Kessing & Minke, 2022; Minke, 2021; Minke & Næsborg-Andersen, 2020; Minke, 2020; Minke & Gottrup, 2014). In addition, Dr Minke has contributed to the development of educational and learning models within prisons, advocating for the transformative potential of personal development opportunities for inmates (Minke, 2023b). Her recent work also highlights the importance of family-friendly prison environments, underscoring the role of familial relationships in rehabilitation and reintegration processes (Knutz, Markussen, Minke, in press).

Forskningsinteresser

Teaching experience (Core curriculum modules and core presentations 2015-)

2025

1. Crime, Punishment and Crime Prevention [Kriminalitet, straf og Kriminalpræventive strategier]. Inside/out Prison Exchange programme partner with Soebysoegaard prison. LLB. Law, University of Southern Denmark
2. Pre-trial Detention [Varetægtsfængsling]. Centre for lawyers legal Education [Juristernes uddannelsescenter]. Copenhagen.
3. Prison research and practice [Fængselsforskning]. VIA University College, Aarhus. Diploma Programme in Criminology.
4. Human Right and incarcerated vulnerable groups. EU & Malaysia: Creating Opportunities Together Inter-Agency Coordination Meeting.

2024

1. Crime, Punishment and Crime Prevention [Kriminalitet, straf og Kriminalpræventive strategier]. Inside/out Prison Exchange programme partner with Soebysoegaard prison. LLB. Law, University of Southern Denmark
2. Crime, Punishment and Crime Prevention [Kriminalitet, straf og Kriminalpræventive strategier]. Inside/out Prison Exchange programme partner with Nyborg prison. LLB. Law, University of Southern Denmark
3. Addressing gang crime—with a focus on tougher penalties and restrictive prison conditions [Bekæmpelse af bandekriminalitet - med fokus på strafskærpelser og restriktive fængselsforhold]. Keynote at Nordic Lawyer meeting [Nordisk Juristmøde] København

2023

1. Crime, Punishment and Crime Prevention [Kriminalitet, straf og Kriminalpræventive strategier]. Inside/out Prison Exchange programme partner with Soebysoegaard prison. LLB. Law, University of Southern Denmark
2. Legal and qualitative research methods [Juridiske og kvalitative metoder]. PhD course in Method II, Aarhus University.
3. Danish model around education in prison. UNESCO.
4. Transnational prisons. European Society of Criminology Conference. 
5. Prison research and practice [Fængselsforskning]. Guest lecture in the diploma program in Criminology, University of Copenhagen

2022

1. Crime, Punishment and Crime Prevention [Kriminalitet, straf og Kriminalpræventive strategier]. Inside/out Prison Exchange programme partner with Soebysoegaard prison. LLB. Law, University of Southern Denmark
2. Penal Punishment - what else and what matters? [Straf hvad ellers?] Public Lecture at the Open University, Aalborg.
3. Overcrowding and understaffing: The crisis in the Danish prison system - restoring to whence it came and where to go? Keynote at Nordic Criminology Research Seminar.   

2021             

1. Crime, Punishment and Crime Prevention. [Kriminalitet, straf og Kriminalpræventive strategier] Inside/out Prison Exchange programme partner with Soebysoegaard prison. LLB. Law, University of Southern Denmark

2020             

1. Crime, Punishment and Crime Prevention [Kriminalitet, straf og Kriminalpræventive strategier]. Inside/out Prison Exchange programme partner with Soebysoegaard prison. LLB. Law, University of Southern Denmark
2. Crime Prevention Strategies [Kriminalprævention]. Guest Lecture at Copenhagen Summer University – Academic summer programme.
3. Perspectives on Prison Life and the Effects of Punishment. Guest Lecture at the Master's Programme in Criminology at Aalborg University.

2019             

1. Crime, Punishment and Crime Prevention [Kriminalitet, straf og Kriminalpræventive strategier]. Inside/out Prison Exchange programme partner with Soebysoegaard prison. LLB. Law, University of Southern Denmark
2. Crime Prevention Strategies in the Prevention of Crime [Kriminalprævention]. Guest Lecture at Copenhagen Summer University. Academic summer programme..
3. Prison research and practice [Fængselsforskning]. Guest lecture in the diploma program in Criminology, University of Copenhagen
4. Acknowledgement, Inclusion and Integration as Guiding Principles in Imprisonment. Guest Lecture at Vrije University, Brussels, Belgium.
5. Prison Architecture [Fængselsarkitektur]. Danish Architecture Festival.
6. Disciplinary Punishment in the Danish Prison System: Enhancing Safety? International Corrections and Prison Association. Buenos Aires, Argentina
7. Law students behind bars - inside and outside students learning together. European Society of Criminology. Ghent, Belgium. 

2018             

1. Crime, Punishment and Crime Prevention [Kriminalitet, straf og Kriminalpræventive strategier]. Inside/out Prison Exchange programme partner with Soebysoegaard prison. LLB. Law, University of Southern Denmark

1. Crime Prevention Strategies in the Prevention of Crime [Kriminalprævention]. Guest Lecture at Copenhagen Summer University.
2. Food in prison. Guest Lecture at Vrije University, Brussels, Belgium.   

2017             

1. Crime, Punishment and Crime Prevention [Kriminalitet, straf og Kriminalpræventive strategier]. Inside/out Prison Exchange programme partner with Soebysoegaard prison. LLB. Law, University of Southern Denmark
2. Crime Prevention Strategies in the Prevention of Crime [Kriminalprævention]. Guest Lecture at Copenhagen Summer University. Academic summer programme.
3. Prison research and practice [Fængselsforskning]. Guest lecture in the diploma program in Criminology, University of Copenhagen.
4. Building partnership between prisons and universities. European Society of Criminology. Cardiff, Wales.

2016             

1. Crime, Punishment and Crime Prevention [Kriminalitet, straf og Kriminalpræventive strategier]. Inside/out Prison Exchange programme partner with Soebysoegaard prison. LLB. Law, University of Southern Denmark
2. Crime Prevention Strategies in the Prevention of Crime [Kriminalprævention]. Guest Lecture at Copenhagen Summer University. Academic summer programme.
3. Prison food in Denmark: Normal Responsibility? American Society of Criminology. New Orleans. USA.

2015

1. Education in Prisons. Guest lecture at Criminal Law seminar at University of Gothenburg.
2. Masterclass. Food in prison. Guest lecture at Vrije Universitet, Brussels, Belgium.
3. Danish prison system and Scandinavian exceptionalism. Guest lecture at Connecticut State University, USA.
4. Qualitative prison research. Guest lecture for the research group CIRA at Yale University, USA.
5. Normalization, Social Bonding and Emotional Support – A Dog’s Effect on Incarcerated Women and the Social Climate within Prison. International workshop on Effects of Imprisonment on offenders lives. Bucharest, Rumania.

Boards & Editorships

2025-2027: Member of the Danish Crime Prevention Commission

2023-2025: Advisory board member on “samtykkeloven”, Copenhagen University, Crown Princess Mary Center

2022-2027: Advisory board member on strategic research group SRP80, Vrije University, Brussels, Belgium

2019-2027: Council member, Scandinavian Research Council for Criminology (NSfK).

2019-present: Board member, SAVN (NGO for children and relatives of incarcerated people).

2017-2019: Advisory board member on prison officer education. Danish Prison and Probation Service.

2014-present: Executive Board member, Danish National Crime Preventive Council.

2014-present: 2 Editor, Nordisk Tidsskrift for Kriminalvidenskab (BFI-2).

2013-2015: Member of Accreditation Panel on Treatment programs. Danish Prison and Probation Service.

Reviewer

Pre-Publication for presses: Djøf Forlag; Palgrave Publishing; Oñati Socio-Legal Series, Routledge Book; Juta Law, VIVE, Forsvarsakademiet; Institut for Menneskerettigheder, Århus Universitetsforlag.

Peer Reviewer for journals: Acta Sociologica; Appetite, Dansk Sociologi, Food and Foodways, Food, Culture and Society, Health and Justice; Journal of the Scientific Study of Religion; Journal of Prisoner Health; Law in Context; Methodological Innovations; Nordic Journal of Criminology; Nordic Journal of Law and Society; Nordisk Tidsskrift for Kriminalvidenskab; Public Health Nursing; Qualitative Inquiry; Retfærd; Scandinavian Journal of Public Health; Unge Pædagoger.

Grant-Reviewer: Nordisk Samarbejdsråd for Kriminologi; Det Kriminalpræventive Råd; Danish Council for Independent Research, DFF-MOBILEX mobility grant, Veluxfonden; Trygfonden.

Research and professional networks

2024- present: Board member. Forum for Kriminologisk Forskning [Forum for Criminological Research in Denmark]

2024- present: Kriminalitets Analyse Gruppe (KAG) [Crime Analysis Group].

2016- present: Member of Legal Think-Tank “Forsete”. Since 2023 working group on pre-trial detention.

2011- present: ESC – European Society of Criminology Prison Working Group.

2007- 2010: The Scandinavian Studies of Confinement research network (SSC).

2006 – present: Member of Kriminalistforeningen [Association of Criminalists].