NCJ Number
205397
Editor(s)
Joanna R. Adler
Date Published
2004
Length
350 pages
Annotation
This book, which is intended for academics, students, and practitioners, explores the field of forensic psychology, offering evidence of success within the criminal justice setting and raising questions for research and practice.
Abstract
The goal of the book is to promote discussion of the key issues within theoretical and policy debates in the field of forensic psychology. Section 1 probes key areas of current and future forensic psychological work within correctional settings. Chapter 1 presents historical and current debates in forensic psychology, while chapter 2 critiques the disparities between media opinion polls, scientifically conducted research, and the political spin put on the public’s attitudes to crime and punishment. Section 2 explores the reliability and validity of evidence. Chapter 3 examines miscarriages of justice in the United Kingdom and the United States and chapter 4 critically reviews traditional approaches to offender profiling. Section 3 discusses issues surrounding the reduction of errors in witness testimony. Chapter 5 considers how to elicit accurate evidence from witnesses in court, while chapter 6 explores the difficulties encountered by older eyewitnesses. Section 4 probes criminality prediction from different perspectives. Chapter 7 examines the status of sensational interests as indicators of serious violent or sexual offending, while chapter 8 reviews contemporary research regarding the relationship between substance use and criminal behavior, particularly property crime. Chapter 9 examines common referral schemes for drug involved offenders in the United Kingdom and reviews forensic perspectives on the treatment of substance addiction. Section 5 examines persistent offenders; chapter 10 examines the ability of Moffitt’s developmental taxonomy (1993) to account for persistence in criminal activity. Chapter 11 explores the nature of stalking and examines the legal sanctions and alternative modes of intervention used to combat stalking. Section 6 explores the intervention and prevention of crime; chapter 12 explores definitions of domestic violence in the United Kingdom and reviews the efficacy of current interventions with offenders. Chapter 13 presents the most effective programs for preventing delinquency and later offending, while chapter 14 examines the history of youth justice in the United Kingdom and analyzes current parenting programs designed to reduce youth crime. Section 7 assesses practice and intervention within the correctional setting. Chapter 15 examines the histories, characteristics, and issues of women who are placed in correctional custody and chapter 16 explores the roles and future possibilities of applied psychology in prison settings. Notes, references, index