Career as a Criminal Psychology

A criminal psychologist's role within the criminal justice system is to make psychological assessments, both formal and informal. These professionals are often hired to assess the accused person’s motivations, mental status and fitness for trial. They may be called on to interpret polygraph data, evaluate parental fitness in child custody cases and predict the risk of recidivism when prisoners come up for parole. They also testify in court, assist with jury selection and provide sentencing and treatment recommendations. Some criminal psychologists work with offenders in a therapeutic capacity to modify problem behaviors and promote successful rehabilitation, or with correctional facility staff for assistance with issues such as inmate mental health.

Criminal profilers (also called investigative analysts) represent a subspecialty within the larger field of forensic psychology. Criminal profilers analyze crime scene evidence in order to provide investigators with descriptions of unknown offenders. Drawing on their knowledge of human behavior and crime statistics, they make educated guesses about the offender’s age, sex, occupation, personal habits and behavior. These clues help investigators to focus and narrow their search.

Criminal psychologists play an important role in our justice system by aiding in the identification and apprehension of offenders, predicting the future likelihood of criminal behavior and ensuring that people accused of crimes receive fair, appropriate and humane treatment. These professionals take great pride in protecting public safety while enjoying the intellectual stimulation provided by this uniquely challenging field.

Work environment:

• Criminal psychologists are employed by:
• Private practices
• Community mental health centers
• State psychiatric hospitals
• Forensic hospitals
• Community probation offices
• Correctional facilities
• Academic institutions

They spend much of the workday interviewing people, performing assessments and conducting case research. They work closely with private lawyers, state attorneys, police officers, federal agents and the public defender's office. Most criminal psychologists work full time. Those in private practice generally have more flexible hours than those employed by institutions and agencies. In addition to working directly with law enforcement and the courts, criminal psychologists may also be employed as professors at the university level or at specialized criminology training facilities.

This is for you if you if you have excellent analytical and observational skills when conducting research and assessing patients. They also benefit from excellent verbal and listening skills, as much of their job involves communicating with offenders and others involved in the criminal justice system.

The forensics field exposes psychologists to potentially upsetting situations and subject matter. They may need to view crime scene photos and work closely with people accused of horrendous crimes. A good dose of emotional stability coupled with excellent stress management skills will help these professionals cope in challenging and stressful situations and allow them to maintain professional objectivity.

One of the best ways to determine if this career is right for you is to talk to an actual criminal psychologist about what the job is like. Contact your local law enforcement department to see if they can connect you with a criminal psychologist in your area.

Career path: In many cases, criminal psychologists start out by earning a bachelor's degree in psychology. After completing an undergraduate degree, some students opt to then enter a master's in psychology program.

Entering a doctorate program after earning your bachelor's is another option. According to the Occupational Outlook Handbook, job openings in this specialty area are more plentiful for those with a Ph.D. or Psy.D. Degree in psychology. This also includes classroom work, practical training, research and a dissertation. In order to become a licensed psychologist, internship and pass state examinations.

Institutes offering Criminal Psychology in India:

• NIMHANS- Bangalore
• Global Open university-Nagaland
• Gujarat Forensic sciences University-Gandhinagar