Forensics

what is forensic psychology? Does therapy in prison works?

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FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGY

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forensic

Forensic psychology applies psychological principles and research to legal issues, encompassing areas like criminal investigations, court proceedings, and corrections. It involves assessing individuals' mental states, providing expert testimony, and contributing to the understanding and treatment of criminal behavior. Forensic psychology bridges the gap between psychology and the legal system, using psychological knowledge to address legal questions and concerns. Forensic psychologists work within various parts of the criminal justice system, including law enforcement, courts, and correctional facilities.

Forensic Psychiatrists

therapeutic work in forensic settings

These are medically qualified doctors who have specialised in forensic psychiatry.
Their work includes the assessment and psychiatric treatment of offenders with
mental health problems in prisons, secure hospitals and the community. They often
work with more severe mental health problems, and as medical doctors they can
prescribe drugs. They have a good understanding of criminal, civil and case law
relating to patient care in forensic settings and are often involved in risk assessment
(e.g. in cases of violent or self-harming patients).A good starting point for our
exploration of therapeutic work in forensic settings is the list of challenges in providing
therapy in a custodial setting (like a prison) outlined by Smedley (2010).

FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGY

Self-disclosure, Consent

In addition to safety, confidentiality, and the avoidance of exploitation, a key ethical principle across counselling,
psychotherapy and counselling psychology is that therapy is a voluntary endeavour which clients freely choose
to engage in (Bond, 2010). This is part of the ethical principle of autonomy or respect for the client’s right to be
self-governing (British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, 2016b). Another way of putting this would
be to say that clients need to provide their consent to engage in therapy. Under UK law consent is defined as being
present if a person agrees to something by choice and has the freedom and capacity to make that choice

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FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGY

History of the prison service

PRISON WORKS?

There are various roles for imprisonment, for example, as a punishment for crime, as a deterrent, for public protection, rehabilitation or simply because there is no other choice for the offender. Thinking about what you have read so far in this chapter, do you think prisons help to rehabilitate offenders or are they just a means of punishment? Why do you think that ex-prisoners reoffend so soon after being released?

Probation

The National Probation Service, established in 1907, is responsible for supervising offenders in the community. Its origins can be traced back to 1876 when Frederick Rainer made a five-shilling donation to the Church of England Temperance Society to help break the cycle of those who became repeat offenders through drunkenness. The National Probation Service works closely with the courts, preparing pre-sentence reports on risk assessment, offence and proposed sentencing. Probation officers can also work within prisons, looking at sentencing, treatments and working with the local probation service where the prisoner will be released.

mental health

‘Drug and alcohol issues are a major problem among the prison population and dual diagnosis (mental health problems combined with alcohol or drug misuse) is common Mental health services and substance misuse services in prisons do not currently work well together … dual diagnosis is used as a reason for exclusion from services rather than supporting access. ‘Prison doctors have no knowledge of mental disease of any kind. They are as a class ignorant man. The pathology of the mind is unknown to them. When a man grows insane, they treat him as shamming. They have him punished again and again.’ [Oscar Wilde, Daily Chronicle, 28 May 1897]

Mentally ill criminals can also be treated within prisons.

In 1939 the East–Hubert Report recommended the creation of a special prison to provide psychological treatment designed to reduce the risk of reoffending. Special psychiatric wards were set up in prisons (Wormwood Scrubs 1946; Wakefield Prison 1947), and prison psychologists were introduced in 1950.

In 1962 Grendon Prison opened for prisoners with mental disorders considered responsive to treatment; a significant proportion of its population is made up of prisoners with personality disorders

Mental Health

The maladaptive behaviour pattern now known as ‘personality disorder’ has a long history. Early nineteenth-century psychiatrists believed that mental illness resulted from a derangement of one of three essential faculties: reason (intellectual understanding), emotion (feeling or empathy), and will (the ability to control thoughts and feelings) (Colaizzi, 1989).

Largely because of observed cases of violence, by the late 1820s there was a growing medical acceptance that a person might have normal intelligence but a warped personality which made it difficult or impossible to resist impulses.