CRIMINAL RESPONSIBILITY EVALUATIONS

By:
DAVID L. SHAPIRO

    Criminal responsibility law is an area often misunderstood by the public, misreported in the media, and sometimes misquoted even by attorneys and judges. In this book, Dr. Shapiro explains and clarifies all of the critical issues involving criminal responsibility and describes appropriate procedures for determining an individual's mental state at the time of an offense. Topics include how to structure an evaluation, formal assessment procedures, assessment of malingering, landmark cases and historical perspectives, consistency across data sources, and important ethical considerations. Also includes an outline for forensic evaluations; sample letters, motions, and informed consent documents; samples of actual forensic reports; a glossary of terms; listings of evaluation materials and sources; and extensive references and citations.

REVIEWS

“Dr. David Shapiro, one of the premier teachers and clinical forensic psychologists in the country, has prepared a thorough guide for the assessment of criminal responsibility. . . . The book is reader-friendly, hits all of the essentials of the evaluation process, provides a brief history of the insanity defense, covers the myriad of ethical issues that such evaluations involve, and has an Appendix with extremely helpful sample documents, letters, and reports.”
    *Neil Blumberg, MD, Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, and Director of Forensic Evaluation, Spring Grove Hospital Center

“At last, a well written, comprehensive manual which should set the standard of care for those conducting criminal responsibility evaluations. Written by one of the leading forensic psychologists in the country, this book integrates research, ethics, assessment methodology, and recent case law into a highly readable, practical guide that should prove invaluable to mental health professionals interested in applying their clinical training, skills, and knowledge to criminal responsibility assessments. By providing case examples throughout the book and with the inclusion of sample forensic reports, Dr. Shapiro provides a model as to how ethical, competent mental state at the time of the offense evaluations should be conducted.”
     *Alan M. Goldstein, PhD, ABPP, Diplomate in Forensic Psychology; Associate Professor of Psychology, John Jay College of Criminal Justice

“Dr. Shapiro demonstrates, once again, that he thoroughly knows and can concisely teach criminal forensic psychology. This is an excellent manual for aspiring doctoral interns and fellows, and a solid review with an ethical emphasis for experienced practitioners.”
     *J. Reid Meloy, PhD, Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, and Past President, American Academy of Forensic Psychology