Forensic psychology is a newly developing branch of psychology that relates to the law and legal system. The American Psychology Association describes forensic psychology as “the application of clinical specialties to the legal arena." Forensic psychologists aim to answer questions that relate to criminal behavior, what motivates individuals to commit a crime, factors that contribute to criminal activity, and how to anticipate and prevent crimes from being committed.
Forensic psychology was only officially recognized as a branch of psychology by the American Psychology Association in 2001, however the field dates back centuries. In the past scientists and philosophers have tried to understand what causes people to commit crimes and behave belligerently, but it wasn't named forensic psychology until 2001.
Forensic psychology encompasses a range of topics including jury selection, criminal profiling, and mental health evaluations. Forensic psychologists can also provide an expert testimony in court, determine the best course of treatment for an incarcerated individual, and most importantly work with offenders and help them to get better. Forensic psychologists spend most of their time in court and jail settings, giving legal advice to juries and meeting with offenders. Forensic psychologists are assigned a perpetrator to work with and diagnose. They usually meet with their patients in jail once a week, and meetings often continue for years, depending on the help the patient needs as well as their mental state and jail sentence. I interviewed Garysha Youngblood, a forensic psychologist based in San Diego, California. In the jail she works there is an offender who received a life sentence in 1993, and has been receiving mental treatment since then. There are of course times in which a patient becomes mentally stable and can eventually be released from psychiatric care, but this is determined by the psychologist they are working with as well as a jury.
It takes 10-15 years to become a forensic psychologist, but you can use your skills in forensic psychology to go into other similar fields. These include forensic clinician, Clinical and Criminal psychologist, criminologist, forensic scientist, jury consultant and more. To become a forensic psychologist you must earn a doctorate in philosophy (Ph.D) or psychology (Psy.D), and because there are very few degree programs for forensic psychology, doctoral programs often accept students that have a psychology master's degree. You do not need a special license to become a forensic psychologist, however, it is required that you have a license in clinical psychology which requires you to take the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology. As a forensic psychologist you can also earn a board certification, and while this is not required, it displays a strong understanding of forensic psychology. To become board certified you are forced to take a three-hour oral and written exam. While all of this is required of any psychologist, what sets forensic psychologists apart is their internship/fellowship under a certified forensic psychologist. Individuals usually spend 1-2 years working under a forensic psychologist, and during this time you administer violence risk assessments, forensic psychological assessments, and you often participate in mock trials. Once you complete all of this, you can become a practicing forensic psychologist.
Forensic psychology is a fairly new branch of psychology, as it was officially recognized by the American Psychology Association in 2001. However, interest in forensic psychology has grown significantly over the past twenty years. Recent shows and movies have popularized the field of forensics, however, the way forensic psychology is depicted in the media is not always accurate. Media has led to many misconceptions, some being that forensic psychologists mainly work studying DNA and crime scene evidence, as demonstrated in shows like CSI and Criminal Minds. While this may be a small portion of a forensic psychologist's job, the majority of their time is spent interacting with perpetrators, and working with courts to determine what is best for their patient. People often believe forensic psychology and forensic science are the same thing, and while there are overlaps, they are two different jobs. Forensic psychologists work in court rooms and work to diagnose patients, whereas forensic scientists spend most of their time studying crime scene evidence and running DNA tests.
Forensic psychologists don't face as much danger as is shown in the media, however, working with perpetrators of larger crimes always comes with risk factors. I spoke to Kasia Garland, a psychologist who worked at Rikers Island running treatment units for detainees with mental illness, and who was also an attending at an inpatient psychiatric unit at Bellevue hospital. I Asked her whether she had ever felt unsafe while meeting with a patient, and she replied that there had been times she was afraid. While working at Rikers Island she witnessed many fights among patients, and even watched as a patient stabbed an offender who was also in the psychiatric unit at Bellevue. I asked Garysha Youngblood the same question, and she responded that there had been times she was afraid of a patient, but in those cases she wouldn't meet with her patient one on one. Either a team of forensic psychologists would meet with the patient, or there would be security in the room during their meetings. None of the psychologists I spoke with ever had a patient get physical with them.
Criminal profiling is one field a forensic psychologist can work in. Criminal profiling is defined by the FBI as “a technique used to identify the perpetrator of a violent crime by identifying the personality and behavioral characteristics of the offender based upon an analysis of the crime committed.” In simpler terms, criminal profiling is using psychological principles to create a profile of a patient based on the crimes committed, and the behavior of the offender. You may be familiar with criminal profiling if you have ever watched Mind Hunters or Criminal Minds, as these shows provide an accurate representation of the work a criminal profiler does.
Forensic psychologists often provide assessments in mens rea cases (cases of insanity). The term mens rea stems from Latin, and translates to "guilty mind." In America an offender cannot be held accountable for a crime if they did not possess a "guilty mind" (mens rea) at the time they committed the crime. Forensic psychologists meet with their patients, and determine whether the offender is not guilty by reason of insanity. Multiple forensic psychologists have to come to a consensus on whether a patient is guilty by reason of insanity, as it is important they are accurate in their diagnoses for the safety of the community, as well as for the safety of the offender.
Forensic psychologists can help to improve the injustices we face in our current penal system, which is the main argument I set out to prove when I picked forensic psychology as my March Madness topic. Perpetrators are not always given psychological aid, and many of them would benefit from mental help rather than time in jail. Forensic psychologists can look at the offender and the crimes committed, and determine what would be most beneficial for the patient in question. Forensic psychologists help investigators and juries get a better understanding of their patients' psyche and mental state, which often affects the outcome of a case. In Jane Doe cases (cases in which the patient is unidentified) forensic psychologists may be able to determine where the offender lives, their socioeconomic status, and their education level along with other important information, just by talking to their patient. Forming relationships with patients is crucial just as it would be for any psychologist, as accurately diagnosing criminals is significantly harder than it would be to diagnose the average person. This is because offenders may bend the truth in hopes of reducing their jail sentence, and also because offenders often have more severe mental issues that take time to identify and work through.