ABSTRACT Although ethical and methodological challenges of conducting research with vulnerable populations are widely acknowledged, there are fewer discussions on the unique difficulties encountered by researchers while working with prisoners sentenced to death and their families. This paper presents the reflective accounts of two researchers’ fieldwork experience, highlighting the ethical concerns

ABSTRACT Abusive Head Trauma (AHT) is a medical diagnosis which indicates that accidents, diseases, or other medical conditions do not plausibly explain a child’s injuries. While psychologists may be involved in AHT cases, they do not generally evaluate children at the time injuries caused by AHT occur and they do not diagnose those injuries. This article is a commentary on Johnson et al, which advises

ABSTRACT Confession evidence is powerful to jurors, even when obtained using psychologically coercive means. To assist jurors in evaluating confession evidence, courts may provide instructions or expert testimony. The current study examined the relative effectiveness of these two safeguards. Participants were randomly assigned to read about a confession that either did or did not result from the use

ABSTRACT Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that leads to the disease COVID-19, has resulted in significant challenges for the medical and psychiatric communities. Much like other clinicians during this global pandemic, forensic evaluators have been faced with the difficult task of continuing their clinical work, while helping to maintain the safety of their examinees

ABSTRACT Psychological tests to detect malingered or feigned symptoms of mental illness are critical in the assessment of forensic patients. The Miller Forensic Assessment of Symptoms Test (M-FAST) is a validated screening test for identifying malingered mental illness. The objective of this study was to translate, adapt, and validate the M-FAST into Armenian. Fifty-four psychiatric patients and 54

ABSTRACT Adjudicative competence evaluations are the most common forensic evaluation to occur in the United States. As a result of these evaluations, pretrial defendants are often found to be incompetent to stand trial and ordered for competency restoration, with psychotic symptoms as a major barrier to competency. Traditional competency restoration services are sometimes insufficient for restoring

ABSTRACT Countertransference can instigate poor or even iatrogenic treatment effects. This study investigated the extent to which psychotic symptoms, inpatient violence and disruptive behavior, and psychopathic/antisocial personality traits are associated with countertransference. Eighty-nine patients with psychotic disorders in a forensic medium-secure unit were assessed twice for countertransference

ABSTRACT Data collected by the State of Missouri Department of Mental Health were used to analyze trends and characteristics of criminal responsibility evaluations by Certified Forensic Evaluators in Missouri. Using data from Fiscal Year 2003 to Fiscal Year 2018, analyses focused on the following: (a) the relationship between diagnosis and criminal responsibility opinion, (b) the rates of criminal

ABSTRACT This study adapts and validates a scale designed to measure Attitudes Toward Mentally Disordered Offenders (ATMDO). It is thought that by monitoring and subsequently improving attitudes, negative potentially damaging milieus within criminal justice, forensic mental health, and society in general can be minimized. Participants (N = 364) were recruited via snowball technique and data collected

ABSTRACT Research exploring the experiences of men who have stalked is lacking, specifically how they construe their reality for stalking episodes. Addressing this absence of experiential expert contribution was the pivotal and timely aim of this research, given interventions for stalking are under-developed. Seven in-depth interviews were conducted with men convicted of stalking and held in UK prisons

ABSTRACT Risk assessment and threat management are important components of crime control and crime prevention, with the results of assessments having a significant impact on personal and community safety. There may also be important legal implications arising from these if individuals are deemed to be a risk to others. There is evidence showing that traditional risk assessment tools do not consider

ABSTRACT Unpaid carers, in the UK, are estimated to contribute 132 billion pounds to society, often at a cost to their own physical and mental wellbeing. Therefore, various governmental directives since 1995 have focused on recognizing the significant contribution made by carers by improving their involvement in services. Carer research within mental health has focused primarily on general mental health

ABSTRACT Forensic professionals have a unique role due to the precarious balance between providing care and enforcing control. In the Netherlands, the term “forensische scherpte”, which we translated as “forensic vigilance”, is widely used to indicate a core competency professionals require during work in forensic psychiatric settings. However, a clear definition and understanding of the construct

ABSTRACT One of the problems that arise in the Family Courts is the constant complaints of one parent about the other (judicial harassment) up to the children’s age of majority or, in some extreme cases, even harming the children to attack the parent who usually has custody. This behavior is typical of Machiavellian progenitors, but this connection has hardly been studied in the literature. The aim

ABSTRACT Adaptations are frequently made by hospital administrators, clinicians, and other staff to accommodate for the changing populations of state psychiatric hospitals in the United States. For example, many mental health treatments, including evidence-based treatments, have been adapted for use with forensic patients and in forensic settings. Specialized ethical guidance has also been developed

ABSTRACT Across two studies, we investigated the effect of alibi corroborator age on alibi assessment. In Study 1, we examined the impact of the alibi corroborator’s age (i.e., 8- vs. 25-year-old) and relationship with the suspect (i.e., stranger vs. neighbor vs. son) on five dependent measures related to corroborator credibility and suspect guilt. In Study 2, we examined the impact of the corroborator’s

ABSTRACT This descriptive study aimed to investigate how often pretrial forensic psychiatric examinations in Denmark included psychological assessments; particularly, the Test of Memory Malingering (TOMM) – a performance validity test – and Structured Inventory of Malingered Symptomatology (SIMS) – a symptom validity test. The circumstances associated with the administration of these tests, including

ABSTRACT In Drope v. Missouri (1975), the Supreme Court expanded the standard for competency outlined in Dusky v. United States (1960) requiring that judges be attuned to changes in defendants’ presentations throughout court proceedings, including following competency restoration. As such, concerns about competency to stand trial must be raised even for those defendants previously found competent or

ABSTRACT Despite a voluminous literature recognizing the challenges and stresses facing correctional officers, few programs exist to preventatively help correctional officers with their mental health, and of the existing programs few are designed specifically for correctional officers or have any evidence-based data available that speaks to their effectiveness. In the current study, we start to fill

ABSTRACT Juvenile adjudicative competency evaluations are on the rise, but basing decisions of competency on developmental factors remains highly debated. Most states do not provide explicit guidelines to address developmental factors within juvenile competency statutes despite substantial evidence demonstrating the impact of age and developmental immaturity on competence-related functional abilities

ABSTRACT Personality disorders (PDs) are ingrained dysfunctional patterns of cognition, emotion, and behavior. PDs, especially Cluster B PDs, are related to an increased violence risk and are highly prevalent in offender populations. Patients with PDs may suffer from dysregulated affect in a sense that they experience many maladaptive emotional states and relatively few healthy emotional states. It

Objective Higher prevalence of traumatic brain injury (TBI) has been reported for detained individuals. TBI may result in erroneously interpreting situations in everyday life, impair problem-solving abilities through dialogue, or negotiation, which may increase aggressive behavior. Knowledge of TBI and its consequences in Dutch penitentiaries is lacking, as virtually no screening, supervision, or treatment

ABSTRACT Risk assessment instruments are widely used to predict risk of adverse outcomes, such as violence or victimization, and to allocate resources for managing these risks among individuals involved in criminal justice and forensic mental health services. For risk assessment instruments to reach their full potential, they must be implemented with fidelity. A lack of information on administration

In attempts to identify and remove biased individuals from a pool of potential jurors, attorneys have resorted to real-time social media investigations, looking at the opinions and affiliations of candidates. Attorneys’ conclusions are based less on founded research and more on their own personal opinions and common-sense theories. This study investigated the relationship between self-reported Facebook

Sex offenders commonly exhibit some degree of denial of their offending. Past research has shown that denial conflicts with treatment completion, but does not necessarily increase sexual reoffending risk. This study explores whether the impact of denial upon the treatment of sex offenders is unequivocal or influenced by other factors, such as criminal career variables and dynamic risk. Thirty-five

Various studies have examined intelligent quotients (IQs) in samples of pedophiles and child molesters. However, intelligence is not a monolithic construct; rather, it is made up of different dimensions, including emotional intelligence (EI). Although emotional intelligence has been studied in relation to criminal behavior, there is little knowledge available on EI in samples of child molesters. The

Forensic psychiatry and forensic psychology study the link between mental health and the law. These forensic behavioral sciences play a vital role when assessing both a person’s competency to stand trial and the degree to which criminal responsibility can be attributed to the perpetrator of alleged offenses by the criminal justice system. Offenders with a suspected intellectual disability are frequently

ABSTRACT Whether risk factors for recidivism are equally predictive in different offender groups and across recidivism types is a question of high clinical importance. Therefore, this study aimed to examine (a) differences in impact of general delinquency risk factors for three different recidivism types, and (b) differences in the presence of general delinquency risk factors between five different

ABSTRACT Thomas Quick of Sweden confessed to over thirty murders between 1993 and 2000, and was convicted of eight of them over the course of six trials in Sweden. All the convictions relied on his blurred confessions. He has since – between 2011 and 2013 – been exonerated for all of them. This case report will provide a detailed account of a real life case where the psychiatric patient has kept notes

Assessment of response style is a vital component of forensic assessment. However, the focus on malingering in the literature and test offerings has predictable and negative consequences: Because the label of malingering is viewed as toxic, tests designed to assess for it are often long and sacrifice sensitivity to minimize false-positive errors. Rather than focusing on diagnosing or ruling out malingering

Hyperarousal and attention problems as a result of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are being recognized as a risk for offense recidivism. Short-term Music therapy Attention and Arousal Regulation Treatment (SMAART) was designed as a first step intervention to address responsivity and treatment needs of prisoners who were not eligible for or unwilling to undergo eye movement desensitization and

Deception is a phenomenon found within the practice of psychology. Beyond malingering, there are other reasons for people to lie within legal contexts. Therapists who work in legal contexts may be presented with deception within various aspects of practice. Previous research has indicated that non-forensic therapists held a number of inaccurate beliefs about indicators of deception and negative attitudes

In this study, we examined the psychometric properties of the French Health of the Nation Outcome Scale-Secure (HoNOS-Secure) in a Belgian Community and Medium Secure Unit sample of patients with psychotic disorders (n = 189). Results suggests that individual HoNOS-Secure items have poor interrater reliability. HoNOS-Secure Behavior and Impairment subscales have good reliability, while others fell

The purpose of this research is to name the symptoms and signs of S&M, defined as a mental disorder and a deviant behavior pattern, and to determine their role in shaping violent sex motivation. Our theory follows from criminological and psycho-psychiatric research that was about questioning 132 persons, who committed violent sex crimes, reviewing their medical histories and mental health profiles

(2019). MCMI-III Profiles of Convicted Contact Sexual Offenders: A Cluster Analysis. Journal of Forensic Psychology Research and Practice: Vol. 19, No. 5, pp. 393-408.

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder affects an estimated 3–5% of the population and results in numerous functional deficits in cognitive, social, and adaptive skills. Additionally, it is estimated that 60% of those who have FASD will become involved in the criminal justice system at some point in their life. Given the high percentage of those with FASD who become involved in the criminal justice system

Although research highlights the influence of individual and case characteristics on outcomes of competence to stand trial (CST), mental state at the time of the offense (MSO), and combined evaluations (CST and MSO), we know little about differences in these characteristics across referral type. Using a sample of 2,655 evaluations in Virginia over a 15-year span, we examined demographic, clinical,

Unlike assessments in other fields of psychology, forensic mental health assessment (FMHA) does not emphasize feedback. The Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct, Specialty Guidelines for Forensic Psychology, and foundational FMHA texts provide little guidance regarding whether and what type of feedback can be provided to forensic evaluees. Mirroring the trend in academic discourse

A democratic prison Therapeutic Community (TC) aims to facilitate personal growth through enhanced interpersonal relationships. This study used a four category model of adult attachment to assess TC offenders’ relationships, obtained from a novel self-report method (a card sorting task). Four styles of attachment were empirically evidenced and an examination of individual attachment styles pre- and

Assaults in psychiatric hospitals are problematic for vulnerable patients, staff, and the treatment system as a whole. This study reflects the challenges state hospitals experience managing risk by evaluating differing legal statuses and comorbid diagnoses to demonstrate their differential impact on behavior while hospitalized. Assault data from 4495 admissions was gathered over eight years to provide

Evidence shows substance use disorders and mental health conditions are linked to an increased probability of jail readmission, but many local facilities do not have the resources to conduct comprehensive behavioral health assessments. This prospective longitudinal study examined the utility of a nine-item screen to identify adults with a high probability of readmission. Results from a sample of 255

Child welfare agencies and legal authorities have frequently turned to psychologists to conduct parental competency assessments (PCA) to inform decisions aimed to advocate the best interests of children and protect them from maltreatment. The Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory–Third Edition (MCMI-III) is an empirically supported measure that is commonly used in the context of these examinations.

Recovery has become a guiding principle for mental health service delivery. However, the implementation of recovery-oriented services is hindered by conceptual multiplicity, and forensic services in particular face additional challenges. The perspectives of both those receiving and providing services are central in understanding how the recovery approach can best be supported in practice. Therefore

Circles of Support and Accountability (CoSA) is an initiative designed to support those previously convicted of sexual offenses as they reintegrate back into society, while still holding them accountable for their thoughts and behavior. The aim of the research was to explore the Core Member and volunteer experience of being involved in a CoSA that transitions from prison to community, with the objective

Guilty pleas account for the vast majority of criminal convictions, yet experimental research on this topic is surprisingly uncommon; furthermore, race is seldom examined in the existing body of experimental studies. The current study utilized a 2 (Participant Race: White, non-White) X 2 (Defendant Culpability: Guilty, Innocent) between-subjects factorial design to investigate mock-defendant plea decisions

Forensic psychologists and psychiatrists are regularly called upon to conduct sexually violent predator (SVP) evaluations. Commonly, the DSM-5 diagnostic category of paraphilic disorders is used to establish whether an offender has a mental abnormality outlined by the SVP laws. Importantly, the use of paraphilic disorders to establish the mental abnormality criterion has given rise to several ethical

Although working within forensic services can often prove emotionally challenging and stressful, there has been a surprising lack of research into potential interventions aimed at addressing stress and burnout experienced by forensic health care professionals (FHCPs). This study investigated the role of coping and dispositional mindfulness on stress and burnout among FHCPs employed within secure hospitals

Little is known about the comparative knowledge base and use of testing among psychiatrists and psychologists, although both groups are asked to make critical diagnostic decisions based on test results. In this research, 102 psychiatrists and 108 psychologists (approximately half in forensic practice) completed a survey on psychological testing. Psychologists reported more knowledge about tests of

In Turner v. Rogers, the U.S. Supreme Court charged judges with ensuring due process for unrepresented litigants in civil proceedings. We argue that engaged judging overlaps with the group value theory (GVT) criterion of trustworthiness, which along with respect and neutrality typically exert a direct effect on perceptions of fairness and satisfaction. However, numerous scholars have claimed that justice

There is currently limited understanding about how best to communicate the results of violence risk assessments to legal decision makers. To advance this literature, a two-part study was conducted assessing whether layperson perceptions of risk and dangerousness varied across common communication formats. Participants in both studies were exposed to a deidentified vignette about a defendant who was

Temporary absences (TAs) and work releases (WRs) allow inmates to leave the institution for short periods of time and are generally a first step in the process of gradual community reintegration. To better understand how TAs and WRs are being used with Canadian federal inmates, this study examined patterns in type, length, success rates, frequency, and timing throughout the inmates’ sentences. Using

The aim of this research is to perform a psychometric analysis of the reduced version of the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI-R) in the Spanish prison population. The sample consists of 294 inmates (265 men and 29 women) who are serving prison sentences in the Penitentiary Centers of the Autonomous Community of Galicia. The average age is 41.20 years (SD = 10.51). The internal consistency of the

Child abuse is an area in forensic medicine where detailed information is required for proper management. The authors present a case of physical child abuse, inflicted by the guardian to control voyeuristic behavior of the child. This has not been reported previously. An 11-year-old female, from a poor socioeconomic background, was brought by the police for clinical forensic examination, with a history

The following case report illustrates the value of neuropsychological expertise in disentangling the effects of brain injury and malingering when evaluating competency to stand trial (CST). A 58-year-old Caucasian male, charged with first-degree murder, sustained a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, with significant frontal lobe damage. He underwent multiple examinations of CST as well as competency

In recent years, there has been a growing social and political controversy surrounding police, racism, excessive use of force, and communities of color in the United States (i.e., Tamir Rice, Sandra Bland, Michael Brown, Trayvon Martin, etc). The controversy has been polarizing. Currently, we do not have nationally centralized training or assessment standards for police officer training and assessment

This study presents a qualitative, user-focused evaluation of a three-day dramatherapy workshop run as part of an 18-week treatment group for mentally disordered sexual offenders (MDSOs). The program is based in the Good Lives Model and aims overall to increase empathy, victim awareness, and emotional awareness. The objective of the present study was to understand offenders’ lived experiences of the

The aim of the present study was to analyze the relation between recidivism and self-reported psychopathic traits, more specifically the callous-unemotional, impulsivity, and narcissism dimensions of the psychopathy construct among female juvenile delinquents. The Antisocial Process Screening Device–Self-Report (APSD-SR) and other self-report psychometric instruments (i.e., Inventory of Callous-Unemotional

Although Asian Americans are statistically less likely to become involved with the criminal justice system than individuals of other racial groups, the Asian American prison population is rapidly and disproportionately increasing. However, the historical underrepresentation implies that few Asian Americans are present in forensic samples supporting the use of personality assessment in legal settings

Objectivity is often cited as the most important characteristic of the forensic evaluator. However, emerging evidence indicates bias continues to exist, despite evaluators’ best attempts to mitigate the influence of their internal processes. One type of bias, termed empathy bias, continues to engender debate in the field, as the evaluator’s experience of empathy has been conceptualized as a hindrance

Prospective adverse events within forensic settings should be assessed using structured risk assessment instruments. Our aim was to identify the barriers and facilitators of a structured instrument for assessment of short-term risk within inpatient forensic psychiatric care. The instrument was piloted at a forensic psychiatric clinic. Three focus group interviews were conducted with staff. Content