The Treatment of Criminal Offenders: A History

by Michael Dow Burkhead

Overview

From drilling holes into the skulls of prisoners, to solitary confinement, to deploying a range of psychological therapies, society has attempted to deal with the problem of criminals in myriad ways over the last few centuries.

This analytical history explores the ever-changing approaches to punishing wrongdoers and preventing further offenses, the philosophical beliefs underlying them, and their relative effects. It discusses such core issues as the role of free will and determination, the root causes of crime, and the effects of studying crimes versus studying criminals. It highlights the continuous debate regarding rehabilitation and punishment, the history of biologically and psychologically based treatments, and the principles of effective intervention, concluding with discussion of what lies ahead.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780786430208
Publisher:	McFarland & Company, Incorporated Publishers
Publication date:	05/28/2007
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	216
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.43(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Psychologist Michael Dow Burkhead has worked in varying capacities with criminal offenders for 25 years and has written a number of articles regarding the treatment of mentally ill prisoners and the death penalty. Also the author of The Search for the Causes of Crime (McFarland, 2005), he lives in Asheville, North Carolina.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments     
Preface     

1. The Principal Issues     
2. Treatment and Punishment: A Brief History of the American Prison     
3. The History of Biologically Based Treatment     
4. The History of Psychologically Based Treatment     
5. The State of the Science: Cognitive Behavioral Intervention     
6. The Principles of Effective Intervention     
7. The Treatment of Special Populations     
8. Faith-Based Programs     
9. The Science of Sin: Correctional Treatment in the 21st Century     

References     
Index     

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