Objective: The Executive Committee of the American Psychology-Law Society (Division 41 of the American Psychological Association) appointed a subcommittee to update the influential 1998 scientific ...review paper on guidelines for eyewitness identification procedures. Method: This was a collaborative effort by six senior eyewitness researchers, who all participated in the writing process. Feedback from members of AP-LS and the legal communities was solicited over an 18-month period. Results: The results yielded nine recommendations for planning, designing, and conducting eyewitness identification procedures. Four of the recommendations were from the 1998 article and concerned the selection of lineup fillers, prelineup instructions to witnesses, the use of double-blind procedures, and collection of a confidence statement. The additional five recommendations concern the need for law enforcement to conduct a prelineup interview of the witness, the need for evidence-based suspicion before conducting an identification procedure, video-recording of the entire procedure, avoiding repeated identification attempts with the same witness and same suspect, and avoiding the use of showups when possible and improving how showups are conducted when they are necessary. Conclusions: The reliability and integrity of eyewitness identification evidence is highly dependent on the procedures used by law enforcement for collecting and preserving the eyewitness evidence. These nine recommendations can advance the reliability and integrity of the evidence.
Public Significance Statement
Mistaken eyewitness identification is a primary contributor to criminal convictions of the innocent. Pristine procedures for collecting and documenting eyewitness identification evidence can help prevent these mistakes. This scientific review paper makes nine system variable recommendations concerning eyewitness identification procedures that should be implemented by crime investigators in eyewitness identification cases.
Canadian clinical forensic psychologists complete rigorous clinical training, yet their scope of practice is limited compared to clinical forensic psychologists in other countries. Specifically, ...Canadian psychologists typically do not conduct fitness to stand trial or criminal responsibility evaluations due to a stipulation in the Criminal Code of Canada that these assessments are to be completed by a medical professional (i.e., psychiatrist). Although efforts are underway to amend the Criminal Code, we consider pursuing board certification as a method for Canadian clinical forensic psychologists to demonstrate specialty expertise and competence to broaden their scope of practice. In the present study, we conducted a practice survey to obtain an overview of Canada's clinical forensic psychology landscape to examine licensed clinical forensic psychologists' training, current qualifications, and interest in Canadian board certification. Eighty-four licensed clinical forensic psychologists completed the survey, representing eight Canadian provinces. Over a third of the respondents attended graduate programs with formal forensic training (36%) or completed forensic postdoctoral training and supervision (35%). Respondents reported completing an average of 3.6 different types of psycholegal assessments in forensic settings or private practice within the previous 3 years. Although most referrals were related to violence or general risk assessment (67%), over a quarter of respondents reported completing fitness (24%) and criminal responsibility (27%) evaluations. Respondents were, on average, neutral about board certification; however, years of psychological practice were associated with a decreased interest, suggesting that early-career professionals have greater interest than professionals later in their careers. Future directions are discussed.
Les psychologues judiciaires au Canada doivent suivre une formation clinique rigoureuse et, pourtant, leur champ de pratique est limité comparativement à celui de leurs homologues d'autres pays. Plus précisément, les psychologues au Canada n'effectuent pas habituellement d'évaluations d'aptitude à subir un procès ni de la responsabilité criminelle en raison d'une disposition du Code criminel du Canada stipulant que ces évaluations doivent être menées par une personne du corps médical, à savoir un ou une psychiatre. Bien que des démarches aient été entreprises pour faire modifier le Code criminel, nous envisageons de faire de l'attestation professionnelle une façon pour les psychologues judiciaires de démontrer leur expertise et leurs compétences afin d'élargir leur champ de pratique. Pour la présente étude, nous avons mené une enquête afin d'établir un aperçu de l'exercice de la psychologie judiciaire au Canada et de déterminer la formation des psychologues judiciaires agréés, leurs compétences actuelles ainsi que leur intérêt envers une attestation professionnelle. Quatre-vingt-quatre psychologues judiciaires agréés de huit provinces ont répondu au questionnaire. Plus d'un tiers des répondants ont obtenu une formation en psychologie judiciaire dans le cadre d'un programme de deuxième cycle (36 %), ou ont obtenu une formation et une supervision postdoctorale (35 %) dans ce domaine. Les répondants ont rapporté avoir accompli en moyenne 3,6 différents types d'évaluations psycholégales dans un cadre judiciaire ou en pratique privée au cours des trois dernières années. Si la plupart des références étaient reliées à l'évaluation du risque de violence ou du risque en général (67 %), plus d'un quart des répondants ont rapporté avoir effectué des évaluations d'aptitude à subir un procès ou de la responsabilité criminelle. Les répondants, en moyenne, étaient neutres à l'égard de l'attestation officielle du statut professionnel. Toutefois, le nombre d'années de pratique en psychologie était associé à une diminution de l'intérêt, ce qui laisse croire que celui des professionnels en début de carrière est plus grand que l'intérêt de ceux qui pratiquent depuis longtemps. Des orientations possibles sont discutées.
Public Significance Statement
When there are concerns about an accused's criminal responsibility and/or fitness to stand trial in criminal cases, courts may require a mental health assessment. While many other countries allow clinical forensic psychologists to conduct these assessments, Canadian law specifies that these assessments be conducted by medical practitioners. Canadian clinical forensic psychologists have been lobbying to expand their scope of practice to include these pretrial forensic assessments. This article presents the results of a survey of Canadian clinical psychologists to examine their training, current qualifications, and interest in Canadian board certification. The survey shows that forensic psychologists are interested in expanding their practice areas, pursuing opportunities for specialized training and potentially engaging in board certification.
Psychological autopsy (PA) has been developed across many countries and contexts has proven beneficial during death investigations and in suicide cases. However, academics and practitioners in ...Indonesia doubt its reliability and efficacy in post-mortem examinations. Consequently, this piece discusses relevant literature, including empirical studies, reviews, and observations, to help contribute to the debate on the validity and feasibility of incorporating PAs in the Indonesian forensic field. In the authors' view, by adapting PA, which has been implemented in other regions, and adjusting it to relevant socio-cultural contexts, it may be considered a helpful procedure for forensic examination under the legal regulations and social frameworks of Indonesia.
•Psychological autopsy as a tool of investigation in a suicide or equivocal death case.•PA awareness should be established for practitioners, governments, and the community in Indonesia.•PA should become one of the standardized methods of forensic examination in Indonesia.
The introduction of neuropsychologists in legal practice allowed for the field of forensic neuropsychology to arise. However, it is still a recent field of knowledge that is in continuous ...development. The existing literature highlights the incipience of studies in this area and the need for adaptation of instruments and methods. Thus, this scoping review aims to analyze how neuropsychological assessment has been employed so far in the forensic context. In order to do this, a search and a follow-up were conducted in the databases PsycInfo, Scopus and Web of Science. The query used for both searches was "(neuropsychological assessment OR neuropsychological test)" AND "forensic" OR "forensic neuropsychology". Initially, 1001 papers were identified, and after a two-stage screening process, 83 articles were included for analysis. Regarding neuropsychological assessment, the most investigated constructs were cognitive levels, memory and symptom validity. The heterogeneity of employed instruments we found in the studies evidenced the great existing variability in forensic neuropsychological practice. Among the most assessed populations were individuals with psychiatric, psychological or neurological diagnoses and male adult detainees in general. With this review, we expect to provide an overview on the current state of forensic neuropsychology, as well as information that may serve as a starting point for new research and further developments in the field.
Political doctrine has arguably coloured public perceptions of prison, as a lone deterrent, in reducing crime rates. Literature pertaining to public attitudes of criminality reports harsher punitive ...views towards individuals who have committed criminal offences in the UK, but this has yet to be assessed by education level. In two independently sampled studies, we explored how degree-level classifications more broadly impact the punitive or rehabilitative leaning of an individual (Study One, N = 180), and whether associations were replicated for forensic psychology education more specifically, internationally (Study Two, N = 183). Whilst merely having a degree did not significantly impact punitive judgments, undertaking a forensic psychology degree specifically, relative to criminology or psychology degrees more broadly, resulted in more positive and less punitive attitudes. There is a clear need for transparency of the Criminal Justice System in the provision of better education, allowing members of the public to make better informed decisions of their punitive judgments of individuals who have committed serious criminal offences. Furthermore, a better understanding of perceptions of these individuals and implications they may have on their treatment; the derivation of such opinions implicating governmental policies regarding rehabilitative care in cases of serious crime. Individual implications for the Slovak educational system and the overall importance of forensic psychology as an independent course.
•In a UK sample, obtaining a degree-level classification of any type does not predict fear of crime or punitive preference towards individuals who have committed a serious criminal offence, but does impact rehabilitative preferences.•In a Slovak sample, forensic psychology students held more positive and less punitive views towards those with serious criminal offences when compared to criminology and theoretical psychology students.•A broad education of forensic psychology might help the successful reintegration of individuals with criminal convictions.•Education needs may better inform decision relating to rehabilitative care.•Indicates a need for forensic psychology education internationally.
Antecedentes: Los investigadores utilizan a menudo mapas en las entrevistas forenses para verificar el camino seguido por un sospechoso para obtener más información y para valorar la credibilidad. ...Método: Analizamos los efectos del nivel de riqueza del mapa en la obtención de información e indicios de engaño. Un total de 112 participantes simularon participar en una misión secreta, pidiéndoseles que, en una entrevista, dijeran la verdad (a un agente amistoso) o mintieran (a un agente hostil) sobre la misión. En la fase 1 de la entrevista se recabó de los participantes un recuerdo libre de la misión y en la fase 2 se facilitó a la mitad un mapa detallado con los nombres de las calles y puntos de referencia de la ciudad en la que habían llevado a cabo la misión (ampliado hasta el 80%) y a la otra mitad se les dio un mapa menos detallado solo con los nombres de las calles y puntos de referencia principales (ampliado hasta el 60%). Se pidió a los participantes que describieran verbalmente la misión y el camino seguido al tiempo que la proyectaban en el mapa. Resultados: En comparación con los participantes instruidos para mentir, los instruidos para contar la verdad daban más detalles sobre ubicación, acciones, tiempo y objetos y complicaciones en la fase 1 y detalles nuevos sobre personas, ubicaciones, acciones y objetos y complicaciones en la fase 2. La riqueza del mapa no influía en el volumen de información producida y tenía el mismo efecto, tanto en los instruidos para contar la verdad como una mentira. Conclusiones: Este primer experimento en esta área de investigación sugiere que los investigadores no deben preocuparse por el nivel exacto de detalle del mapa cuando introduzcan estos en las entrevistas.
A commentary on the reporting of the attempted explosives attack on government buildings in London in 1883 is offered from the perspective of bomber behavioral analysis, a sub-specialty of criminal ...investigative analysis.
This article discusses the relation between paternity and crime using discourse analysis. We researched case that contained the judgment regarding the emotional abandonment by the father. In ...particular, we analyze the subject’s production in statement as they blame the father for his absence in children’s life. The use of the statements outlined the family responsibility and established differences between the family’s responsibility and community or State’s responsibility. Within the family unit, the statements described the father’s responsibility when they built specific roles for men and women with specific prescriptions, functions, and features, thereby creating a heterosexist matrix. When this turns into a legitimate legal demand, the affection will be translated as care and family intimacy. In this discursive analysis, differences can be observed in the manner in which the maternal and paternal care are discursively produced. In the case of paternal care, this difference can be translated into the child’s need for authority and the demand for limits. This difference could be at the base of the association between paternal absence and crime. O objetivo deste artigo é discutir arqueologicamente a articulação entre paternidade e criminalidade, tomando como base um documento jurídico que aciona um pai por abandono afetivo. Em especial, analisamos a produção de sujeitos nos jogos enunciativos que responsabilizam o pai por sua ausência na vida da prole. Para que se construa essa responsabilização em relação ao(a) filho(a) é necessário que os enunciados se movimentem e estabeleçam diferenciações entre a responsabilidade familiar x de outras instâncias (comunidade e Estado). No interior da instância familiar, os enunciados explicitam a matriz heterossexista, construindo lugares específicos para homens e mulheres, recheados de prescrições, funções e características. Para que se transforme numa demanda jurídica legítima, o afeto será entendido como cuidado e convívio. Mesmo nesta operação enunciativa, o cuidado paterno não se produz de forma semelhante ao cuidado materno. Ao referir-se à paternidade, o afeto (cuidado) se transformará na demanda por limite e autoridade, que se sustenta na associação entre a ausência paterna e a criminalidade. El objetivo de este artículo es discutir de forma arqueológica la relación entre paternidad y criminalidad, analizando un documento jurídico-legal a través del cual se acciona a un hombre- padre por Abandono Afectivo. En especial, se analiza la producción de sujetos en los juegos de enunciativos que responsabilizan al padre por su ausencia en la vida de los/as hijos/hijas. Para construir esta responsabilidad con relación al(la) hijo(a) es necesario establecer las diferencias entre la responsabilidad familiar y otras instancias (comunidad y Estado). En el interior de la familia, los enunciados dejan explícita la matriz heterosexual, construyendo lugares específicos para hombres y mujeres, llenos de prescripciones, funciones y características. Para convertirlo en una demanda legal legítima, el afecto se entenderá como el cuidado y la convivencia. Inclusive en esta operación enunciativa, la atención paterna no se produce de manera similar a la atención materna. Al referirse a la paternidad, el afecto (cuidado) se transformará en la demanda por límites y autoridad, que se sustenta en la asociación entre a ausencia paterna y la criminalidad.
In the past 50 years forensic psychological practice has expanded dramatically. Because the practice of forensic psychology differs in important ways from more traditional practice areas (Monahan, ...1980) the "Specialty Guidelines for Forensic Psychologists" were developed and published in 1991 (Committee on Ethical Guidelines for Forensic Psychologists, 1991). These Specialty Guidelines for Forensic Psychology were developed by the American Psychology-Law Society (Division 41 of the American Psychological Association APA) and the American Academy of Forensic Psychology. They were adopted by the APA Council of Representatives on August 3, 2011.
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