Offenders, Deviants or Patients?: An Introduction to Clinical Criminology

Offenders, Deviants or Patients? provides a practical approach to understanding both the social context and treatment of mentally disordered offenders. Taking into account the current public concern, often heightened by media sensationalism; it addresses issues such as sex and ’historic sex offending, ’hate’ crime, homicide and other acts of serious bodily harm.

This fifth edition is fully updated and incorporates the latest research and reflects recent changes in law, policy and practice, including:

DSM-V criteria

groundbreaking work on neuro-physiological aspects of psychopathy

the Coroners and Justice Act

Using new case examples, Herschel Prins draws on his own expertise and experience to examine the relationship between mental disorders and crime and looks at the ways in which it should be dealt with by the mental health care and criminal justice systems. Offenders, Deviants or Patients? is unique in its multidisciplinary approach and will be invaluable to all those who come into contact with serious offenders or those who study crime and criminal behaviour.

Herschel Prins has worked in the fields of criminal justice and forensic mental health for over sixty years. He has served on a number of public and voluntary bodies and authored numerous books and articles.