What Is a Forensic Psychological Evaluation?

A forensic psychological evaluation is an assessment of an individual to determine fitness to meet standards of the legal or criminal justice system. Most commonly used in the criminal court system to define an offender’s state of mind, forensic psychological evaluations can also serve in treatment settings, in civil law and in professional settings.

Forensic Psychology Professionals

• Forensic evaluation professionals typically include psychiatrists and psychologists with specialized mental health knowledge that they apply to questions pertaining to the law or posed by the legal system.

Criminal Evaluation

• The court system often orders forensic evaluations of potentially mentally ill patients who have committed violent or aggressive offenses. Forensic evaluations assess such things as an offender’s fitness to stand trial or whether an offender is criminally responsible for his actions. Other types of forensic evaluations include pre-sentence assessments and assessments of dangerous or long-time offenders.

Forensic Risk Evaluation

• Forensic risk evaluation in criminal situations seeks not so much to define an offender’s legal status, but rather to determine causes of aggressive or violent behavior in identified offenders and to prevent re-occurrence. Forensic professionals evaluate personal history and current circumstances to determine the likelihood that an individual will re-offend and to devise strategies to prevent recidivism.

Civil Law Evaluation

• Forensic psychology professionals often play a consultative role in matters of civil law when mental fitness or state of mind is questioned, including divorce and custody disputes, jury selection, employment discrimination, product liability, personal injury and medical malpractice.

Professional Evaluation

• Forensic professionals consult with law enforcement agencies and the military to evaluate the mental fitness of job candidates or to determine fitness of personnel to return to duty.