Applying Psychology to Forensic Practice

Adrian Needs runs the MSc in Forensic Psychology at the University of Portsmouth. He worked in the Prison Service for many years and as an office holder in the BPS has played a leading role in the development of training in forensic psychology. Published work includes articles on social skills interventions, sexual and violent offending and prison officer training.Graham Towl is Head of Psychology for the Prison Service and the National Probation Service. His recent publications include Psychology in Prisons (Blackwell Publishing, 2003) and numerous journal articles on suicide and self-injury, risk assessment with offenders, ethics and public sector management.

"At a time when forensic psychology is playing an important and increasing role in the criminal justice system the editors of this book are to be congratulated on bringing together a wide and well written range of contributions... a must for all forensic psychologists and their associated colleagues." Professor Herschel Prins, Loughborough University "This comprehensive collection of essays on the emerging role of forensic psychology makes for stimulating reading. Bringing together analyses of research techniques, practical discussions on meeting needs and supporting practitioners, with theories of organisational development in the criminal justice system, the book benefits from its contributors' shared vision of what is required in order to successfully tackle and prevent problems of offending." Crispin Truman, Chief Executive, Revolving Doors Agency "This wide-ranging book covers many important topics and will be very useful to scholars and practitioners in providing valuable information about key roles in forensic psychology." David P. Farrington, Professor of Psychological Criminology, Cambridge University "A good marker of how much forensic psychology has developed in recent years, this thought-provoking book is written by a number of the current leading experts (both practitioners and researchers) and provides up-to-date illustrations of some of the most exciting areas in the field. It will appeal to academics and students, people interested in becoming a forensic psychologist, current forensic psychologists and other psychologists who wish to gain a valuable insight into this expanding area." Dr Peter Banister, Department of Psychology and Speech Pathology, Manchester Metropolitan University "Practitioners in forensic psychology will find new insights in this book whatever their level of knowledge and expertise in their subject ... This book, as it promises, is somewhat different from other texts on forensic psychology and deserves a place on your bookcase. It will make you think about how more psychology, which is not forensic, could be adapted, applied, or provide some further insight to the benefit of better forensic practice. While it would be hard to meet all the expectations on the outside cover, it will not disappoint." Zoë Ashmore, Consultant Forensic Psychologist, The Howard Journal of Criminal Justice, Vol 44 No 1, February 2005

• List of Contributors. Series Editors’ Preface.Preface.Section I: Working with Offenders; Analysis and Intervention.1. The Offender’s Perspective on Crime: Methods and Principles in Data Collection: Claire Nee.2. The Community and Family Context in Understanding Juvenile Crime: Mark Wilson.3. Offence Paralleling Behaviour (OPB) as a Framework for Assessment and Interventions with Offenders: Lawrence Jones.4. Risk Assessment: David Crighton.5. The Management of Difficult Clients: Ruby Bell and Sue Evershed.6. Intellectual Disabilities and Crime: Issues iIn Assessment, Intervention and Management: William R. Lindsay, Jacqueline Law and Fiona MacLeod.Section 2: Working with Criminal Justice Personnel.7. Violent Police–Suspect Encounters: the Impact of Environmental Stressors on the Use of Lethal Force: Aldert Vrij and Jo Barton.8. Enhancing Eyewitness Memory: Developments in Theory and Practice: Pam Newlands.9. Occupational Stress and the Criminal Justice Practitioner: Jennifer Brown.10. The Contribution of Job Simulation Assessment Centres to Organizational Development in HM Prison Service: Keith Baxter, Kirstin Davis, Eliot Franks and Sonia Kitchen.11. Design and Evaluation of Training: David Boag.12. Facilitating Multi-disciplinary Teams: Adrian Needs and Jo Capelin.13. Applied Psychological Services in HM Prison Service and the National Probation Service: Graham Towl.References.Appendix: Revolving Doors Agency.Index.