Mental Disorders and the Criminal Justice System

Reviewed by Sharon Dutkowski, Faculty School of Behavioral Science, Grace College on 12/18/25

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

The textbook Mental Disorders and the Criminal Justice System is set up in a comprehensive manner. It is easy for readers to connect the chapters. Each chapter is built into the next chapter but the uniqueness of the textbook is each chapter can be used as a standalone lesson.

Content Accuracy rating: 4

The content in this textbook appears to be error free and is inclusive to all readers.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

The title of the book is what caught my eye as it is rarely discussed in either field. In teaching both abnormal psychology and criminal justice courses we often discuss topics that are covered in this textbook. The book covers the history of mental illness and the criminal justice system. The text is set up with current links that can be updated as needed with current events.

Clarity rating: 5

The textbook is written in a manner for students in the criminal justice field to gain knowledge in the mental health field. The terms are defined and the author uses real life examples to guide students through the psychological perspective on the topic. Each chapter has learning outcomes explained in the beginning of the chapters and at the end of the chapter the discussion questions encourage critical thinking through the concepts.

Consistency rating: 5

The framework of the textbook is consistent and allows the reader to anticipate the flow of each chapter. Each chapter has clear learning objectives at the beginning of the chapter and discussion questions at the end of each chapter.

Modularity rating: 5

The topics of the textbook are designed to be used in its entirety or it can be broken down by chapters and used to supports topic being discussed in class. The author suggests to order the text by chapters if needed. Each chapter has spotlight case studies that can be used independent of the textbook.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

Criminal Justice students typically do not have knowledge of the history of the mental health field. The textbook starts with a clear history of how mental health services have evolved throughout history. The chapters go on to explain the influence of society in the evolution and its impact on the criminal justice field.

Interface rating: 4

The text includes multiple images, flow charts and actual video links for readers to better understand the concepts. The flow of the textbook is good and the balance of images but there are several sections of large portions of the pages with no text or images, just blank white space.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

There are no noticeable grammatical errors.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

The inclusivity of the text really stood out and was a positive part of reviewing the text.

This book addresses topics that need to be discussed in the criminal justice field. The well-thought out and detailed approach to the topic of mental health disorders and the criminal justice system gives the reader a understanding that can be used throughout their career. The intext links to supportive videos will give the readers an opportunity to connect what they are learning to real life scenarios. The book is user friendly and easy to navigate from one chapter to the next. The last chapter outlines career opportunities and opens the door for students to think broadly about how to use their degree. I enjoyed reading this book and look forward to using it in the future.