Forensic Evaluation of Juveniles. - Review - book review

Adolescence, Summer, 2000

GRISSO, Thomas. Forensic Evaluation of Juveniles. Sarasota, FL: Professional Resource Press, 1998. 3O4 pp. $34.95 (h).

In recent years, juvenile courts and attorneys have come to rely heavily on mental health professionals for evaluations of youths in delinquency cases. Evaluation questions include the youth's competence to stand trial, competence to waive Miranda rights prior to giving a confession, the risk of future violence, rehabilitation needs, and whether he or she should be tried as a juvenile or an adult. This book offers guidance in performing evaluations for all of these purposes. Written for clinicians, each chapter defines the legal and clinical questions for a particular type of evaluation, describes the evaluation process in detail, reviews relevant assessment methods, and discusses issues in interpretation and testimony. The descriptions are guided by current legal requirements and research results in the behavioral and medical sciences, blended with practical advice derived from the author's twenty-five years of experience in the forensic evaluation of juveniles. The introductory chapter examines the historic al, legal, scientific, and professional contexts in which clinicians engage in forensic evaluations of juveniles, and the closing chapter offers a comprehensive review of ethical and professional issues in juvenile forensic practice.