It is estimated that 14% of men and 31% of women in jails have a serious mental illness (Kerle, 2016). This can put them at risk of victimisation, and makes them a greater threat to themselves as well as others. Claims that jails can be considered the new mental hospitals have been made for the past decade. Considering that an estimated 18% to 20% of the jail population consists of individuals suffering from an mental illness, this claim receives some validation (Kerle, 2016). This issue is not only present in the US but can also be found in countries such as Australia (Huxter, 2013). However, often times correctional institutions are not properly equipped to handle their increasing population of the mentally ill. Therefore many offenders with
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This often leads to them becoming homeless or re-offending and being placed back within correctional institutions, where they will not receive adequate treatment. This cycling through the criminal justice system is a serious social problem faced by this country. To improve this situation the current system has to be evaluated and necessary changes have to be implemented. This paper will examine this issue using two sub-disciplines of psychology, clinical psychology and forensic psychology. Clinical psychology was chosen due to the issues relating to the treatment of mental illnesses, which will be examined through a clinical perspective. Forensic psychology was chosen due to this topic presenting an overlap between psychology and the criminal justice system that can best be examined using the means of forensic …show more content…
The broad definition sees it as the intersection between psychology and the law, while the narrower definition rather sees it as the application of clinical psychology to the legal system (Weiner & Hess, 2006; Otto & Heilbrun, 2002; Brigham, 1999). While the exact definition is debated, forensic psychology has been adopted by the American Psychological Association (APA) as a specialisation since 2001. Making this field one of the youngest branches of psychology (Weiner & Hess, 2006; Otto & Heilbrun,
This often leads to them becoming homeless or re-offending and being placed back within correctional institutions, where they will not receive adequate treatment. This cycling through the criminal justice system is a serious social problem faced by this country. To improve this situation the current system has to be evaluated and necessary changes have to be implemented. This paper will examine this issue using two sub-disciplines of psychology, clinical psychology and forensic psychology. Clinical psychology was chosen due to the issues relating to the treatment of mental illnesses, which will be examined through a clinical perspective. Forensic psychology was chosen due to this topic presenting an overlap between psychology and the criminal justice system that can best be examined using the means of forensic …show more content…
The broad definition sees it as the intersection between psychology and the law, while the narrower definition rather sees it as the application of clinical psychology to the legal system (Weiner & Hess, 2006; Otto & Heilbrun, 2002; Brigham, 1999). While the exact definition is debated, forensic psychology has been adopted by the American Psychological Association (APA) as a specialisation since 2001. Making this field one of the youngest branches of psychology (Weiner & Hess, 2006; Otto & Heilbrun,