Is an offender with mental health problems fully responsible for their offences? Should certain criminal behaviors be treated with incarceration and rehabilitation—or counseling and psychotherapy? Mad or Bad? asks these questions, and more. It is a cutting-edge text that provides a comprehensive introduction to mental health problems and criminal behavior, and considers the most common and effective therapeutic approaches for working with offenders and victims of crime.

• Part 1 explores the predominant tensions between forensic and therapeutic agendas;
• Part 2 considers how criminal and ‘insane’ identities and careers may be considered gendered, classed, culturally, and age-dependent experiences, and be related to power and oppression;
• Part 3 examines issues around sex and sexuality in forensic and therapeutic settings;
• Part 4 introduces a range of therapeutic approaches for working with offenders and victims of crime;
• Part 5 covers forensic and therapeutic practices, including programs for the prevention of both mental health issues and offending.

Edited by an expert team from the Open University and written by a broad range of contributors, this book draws on a wealth of experience in this popular subject area. It will be a key text for students of forensic psychology, counseling and psychotherapy, and for health and social care professionals working in therapeutic and forensic settings.