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Karen FranklinKAREN FRANKLIN, Ph.D. is a licensed clinical psychologist, an instructor at the San Francisco Bay Area campus of Alliant International University, and a member of the Ethics Committee of the California Psychological Association. She specializes in the evaluation and treatment of criminal defendants. Her research on the motivations of hate crime offenders was awarded a Monette/Horwitz Trust Award and a Harry Frank Guggenheim Fellowship. Her peer-reviewed articles have appeared in Behavioral Sciences & the Law, American Behavioral Scientist, the Journal of Interpersonal Violence, the Journal of Forensic Psychology Practice, and other academic journals. A former criminal investigator and legal affairs news reporter, she received her postdoctoral training in forensic psychology through the University of Washington.

NPR

Psychopathy: NPR expert panel

On All Things Considered, NPR’s Alix Spiegel explores the controversial PCL-R instrument, designed to ferret out psychopaths, and its great influence over one prisoner’s parole fate. Here, a panel of experts — Karen Franklin among them — debates the test’s role in the criminal justice system. Plus, Dr. Franklin reviews Jon Ronson’s new book on … Continue reading »

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prison cages

Ethics and captive populations

That’s the title of my “Ethics Corner” column in California Psychologist, discussing some of the quagmires as well as opportunities for ethical practice behind bars. I’ve also uploaded a companion resource page here on my website. Here’s the way the column starts: A recent photo in the Los Angeles Times pictured a psychologist administering therapy … Continue reading »

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Desistance

Desistance from sex offending

Desistance from Sex Offending: Alternatives to Throwing Away the Keys by D. Richard Laws and Tony Ward Reviewed in the online journal Open Access Journal of Forensic Psychology If one set out to design an intervention program to encourage criminals to reoffend,what would it look like? It should include the converse of what helps offenders … Continue reading »

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Mike Tyson

Competency: Online resources

The competency training page showcases legal cases with publicly available teaching tools, most of them free and online. Resources include reports, videos and transcripts of hearings and evaluations. Featured cases include: Competency Cases Online Theodore Kaczynski Colin Ferguson Ralph Tortorici Scott Panetti Mike Tyson Steven Hayes John Salvi III José Padilla Competency Cases Online

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Psychopathy: NPR expert panel Ethics and captive populations Desistance from sex offending Competency: Online resources