The mad, the bad, and the innocent
Subtitle: the criminal mind on trial
By: Barbara R. Kirwin.
Edition: 1st ed.
Publisher: Little, Brown
Published: 1997
Place of publication: Boston
Language: eng
Number of pages: 306
Subjects: Forensic psychology; Criminal psychology; Insanity -- Jurisprudence; Criminal liability
Description: This volume delivers a critique of the American legal system's abuse of the insanity defense -- what the author calls "designer defenses" that put violent psychopaths in mental hospitals, and sending schizophrenics to jail. It is interspersed with case histories of defendants, ranging from serial killers to child killer Susan Smith. The author recounts the recent history and current use of the insanity plea. She differentiates between psychopaths and the truly ill, also explaining that there is no such thing as "temporary insanity." The author also gives a concise and vivid history of mental treatment during and since the Reagan administration.
Notes: Includes index.