Overview of Forensic Mental Health Assessments in Death Penalty Cases

Abstract

This chapter provides an overview of conducting forensic mental health assessments in death penalty cases. It begins by briefly tracing the history and development of the specialty field of forensic psychology. After discussing various conceptualizations of “forensic mental health assessment,” this chapter discusses how such assessments differ in important respects from traditional clinical assessments. It then discusses the quality of forensic mental health assessments both generally and in the specific context of death penalty cases. This chapter also describes the many roles that may be played by forensic mental health professionals in all phases of death penalty proceedings. Finally, this chapter provides an overview for the remainder of the book.