Inside the Criminal Mind

by Stanton E. Samenow

Paperback

Published November 4, 2014

About the author

Dr. Samenow received his B.A. (cum laude) from Yale University in 1963 and his Ph.D. in psychology from the University of Michigan in 1968. After working as a clinical psychologist on adolescent inpatient psychiatric services in the Ann Arbor (Michigan) area, he joined the Program for the Investigation of Criminal Behavior at St. Elizabeths Hospital in Washington, D.C. From 1970 until June, 1978, he was clinical research psychologist for that program. With the late Dr. Samuel Yochelson, he participated in the longest in-depth clinical research-treatment study of offenders that has been conducted in North America.

In 1978, Dr. Samenow entered the private practice of clinical psychology in Alexandria, Virginia. His specialty has continued to be the evaluation and treatment of juvenile and adult offenders. Dr. Samenow has delivered lectures, training seminars, and workshops in 48 states, Canada, and England. These presentations have been to a variety of professional groups including mental health, law enforcement, corrections, education, social services, and the judiciary. He has served as a consultant and expert witness for a variety of courts and agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Dade County (Florida) Public Schools, Federal Bureau of Prisons, and the U.S. Office of Probation. In 1980, he was appointed by President Reagan to the Law Enforcement Task Force and in 1982 to the President's Task Force on Victims of Crime. In 1987, President Reagan appointed him as a Conferee to the White House Conference on a Drug-Free America.

Reviews

[Lex Walsh · Rating 2 out of 5]

Eh…was bored and this was on my sisters book shelf from a college class she took…not great or that enlightening, not very empathetic.

[Ellie Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredibly insightful, and as someone who is interested in psychology, I couldn’t stop reading it! Samenow offers a unique perspective, that sometimes opposes my own, which I think was the best part!!

[Jahna Pusedu · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a little tough to rate. I wanted “more”. Not more information but almost more drama. I think my brain wanted something with a bit more dramatic and thrilling since I had been on a thriller kick before this book. So really information wise, I would say it was great, an interesting approach to how a criminal thinks. It’s so easy to assume that they are criminal because of nature and nurture, but from this POV maybe that’s not always the case. Apparently it hasn’t been since the 1960s, lol! I recommend this book to those who want a Dr/psychiatrist perspective. It includes real stories of criminals and a touch of hope for human kind. It does bring up a large issue that I have seen where you can’t be surprised that criminals who sit in jail or prison are going to change their ways just because they went thorough our corrections system, this books explains in depth why that may be. Happy reading!