Crime and Psychology Foundations of Forensic Practice

• Main Author: Venn, Jonathan (Author)
• Format: Book
• Language: English
• Published: New York Routledge Taylor & Francis Group 2024
• Subjects: Forensic Psychiatry; Crime > Psychology; Law Enforcement; Criminals > Psychology; Dangerous Behavior
• Online Access: Click Here to View Status and Holdings.

 Clear and accessible in style, this book offers a comprehensive introduction to criminal justice and forensic mental health and the ways in which they intersect. Assuming no prior exposure to the field of criminal forensic psychology, the book reviews ten areas where mental health professionals contribute regularly to the due process of law: comprehension of rights, competency to stand trial, transfer of juveniles to adult court, risk assessment, mitigation, sentencing, sexually violent predators, insanity, and capital punishment of persons with mental illness and with intellectual disability. The book also explores the major categories of mental disorders, how they contribute to criminal behavior, and what problems they present in courts and corrections. Landmark cases from the United States and United Kingdom are also reviewed in detail to develop a thorough understanding of the court's decision-making process. Bridging the gap between abstraction and practice through its narrative presentation of case material, emphasis on controversy, and illumination of the historical roots of problems and ideas, the book helps the forensic practitioner transition from novice to knowledgeable professional in the courtroom.