Criminal Psychology: A Manual for Judges, Practitioners, and Students

by Hans Gross

AT the National Conference of Criminal Law and Criminology, held in Chicago, at Northwestern University, in June, 1909, the American Institute of Criminal Law and Criminology was organized; and, as a part of its work, the following resolution was ``Whereas, it is exceedingly desirable that important treatises on criminology in foreign languages be made readily accessible in the English language, Resolved, that the president appoint a committee of five with power to select such treatises as in their judgment should be translated, and to arrange for their publication.'' The Committee appointed under this Resolution has made careful investigation of the literature of the subject, and has consulted by frequent correspondence. It has selected several works from among the mass of material. It has arranged with publisher, with authors, and with translators, for the immediate undertaking and rapid progress of the task. It realizes the necessity of educating the professions and the public by the wide diffusion of information on this subject. It desires here to explain the considerations which have moved it in seeking to select the treatises best adapted to the purpose. For the community at large, it is important to recognize that criminal science is a larger thing than criminal law. The legal profession in particular has a duty to familiarize itself with the principles of that science, as the sole means for intelligent and systematic improvement of the criminal law.

Genres: Psychology, Nonfiction, Law, Crime, Reference

170 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 1998

About the author

Hans Gustav Adolf Gross was an Austrian criminal jurist and an examining magistrate. He is believed to be the creator of the field of criminalistics; he taught as a professor at the Chernivtsi University, Prague University and the University of Graz, and established the Institute of Criminology in Graz. He was also the father of the Austrian psychoanalyst Otto Gross.

The release of his book "Handbuch fur Untersuchungsrichter, Polizeibeamte, Gendarmen, u.s.w." (A handbook for examining magistrates, police officials, military policemen, etc.) in 1893, is marked as the birth of the field of criminalistics, applying science to the practices of crime investigation and law. The work combined in one system fields of knowledge that had not been previously integrated, and which could be successfully used against crime. Gross adapted some fields to the needs of criminal investigation, such as crime scene photography.
(Wikipedia)

Reviews

[Venci · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s not bad it’s just with very outdated ideas

[S. L. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating as a historical document. It should be read with caution because much material is biased.