Psychology and the Legal System

Rating:
Summary: Good for students, but lacking in some vital areas
Review: I bought this book for a course entitled Psychology and the Law, which I am taking as an elective course, and not as part of my areas of concentration. Although I am a Sociology and Women's Studies major, you don't need to be a feminist (or even a sociologist for that matter), to see where this book is lacking vital information on the criminal justice system, and on rehabilitation techniques used in North America.

As a Canadian student, I did find this book useful, although it is primarily focused on the American model of criminal justice. The basic theories and ideologies are pretty much the same for both Canada and the United States, so in that respect, the information is still valuable. Some Chapters of interest to sociologists, law students and forensic psychologists alike are entitled "Lawyers: Socialization, Training and Ethics" , "Theories of Crime" , "Forensic Assesment I & II" , "Jury Trials I & II" , "Psychology of Victims" , "The Rights of Special Groups" and "Punnishment and Sentencing". What seems to be lacking in these chapters, upon quick glance, is that there are no questions at the end, just a quick summary and a list of key terms. Personally, I find I perform better on an exam when there are questions left unanswered at the end of a chapter (gets the ol' wheels in my noggin' turning away ...), but for whatever reason, there isn't any. Also, the glossary doesn't contain all the the 'key terms' at the end of a chapter so sometimes you have to use another psychological or legal dictionary to find the definitions.

Another critical area that is lacking in this book, is any research from a feminist perspective. There is a paragraph here and there regarding 'feminist jurisprudence' and a brief mention of Carol Gilligan's conception of women's moral development, which, by the way, has paved the way for many rehabilitative programs not only in North America but world-wide. There is no mention of this ANYWHERE in the book, even though empirical evedince has proven that rehabilitative techniques of this nature are for more successful in preventing criminals from repeat offences. Also, many of the theories of crime are outdated (a good number of them are biological theories) and there are NO theories of female criminality what-so-ever. The critiques feminists have made of these male-dominated theoreis are not listed. Apparently women just don't break the law!

All in all, it's a good read if you're a student in the field, but remember to think objectively and keep an open mind. It does take a kind of male-oriented pro-punnishment type angle but it you can look past these details and remind yourself that this is only one point of view, it does provide alot of information. To top it all off, the examples used to demonstrate the points in the book are all fairly recent, like the O.J. Simpson trials, debates on censorship on the internet as well as debates on doctor-assisted suicide. It's a book I plan to keep on my shelf throughout my studies, but not one I can really say was "remarkable" or "accurate". I'll likely reach for this book when I need a more traditional opinion for a gender studies assignment with regard to the law ... it only emphasizes one side of the story.

Rating:
Summary: Adequate but lacking
Review: I purchased this book for an undergraduate psych course, "Psychology & the Law". As I have a BA in psychology, I've read quite a few psychology textbooks in the past few years, and this might possibly be the worst of the bunch.

Generally, the book is somewhat disorganized and the chapters don't really seem to flow together. The text gives the feeling that the reader is jumping from topic to topic without any sense of cohesion between the chapters. The authors try to bind the sections together with the running theme of dilemmas in the legal system, but this strategy just strikes me as contrived, especially since some of the so-called dilemmas are rather commonsensical. Also, the authors' writing style is lacking, and I find myself with many questions after reading the chapter - certain topics just aren't explained very well, or very efficiently, for that matter.

Overall, I think the textbook is adequate for teaching the material but I'm convinced that it can't be the best choice out there. As a fellow reviewer mentioned, the text mentions nothing in regards to rehab of criminals, which seems like a huge oversight (after all, isn't rehabilitation half the battle?). So please, PLEASE, if you're a professor who's considering using this text to teach your class - DON'T!