"Paul Ciolino is old school. Right is right and wrong is wrong. With street smarts and a sixth sense for where to look, Ciolino won't let go until he's found what he's looking for, which is quite simply justice. And now he's written a highly readable, straight-ahead, tell-it-like-it-is guide to let us in on what he knows."-Alex Kotlowitz, Author of There Are No Children Here, Never a City So Real, and The Other Side of the River

Herein lies the root of the issue. Justice, morality, and freedom. This is what our fight is about. This is what it boils down to for me and I hope for you as well. Money is nice. Professional recognition by our peers is great. Warm and fuzzy media stories about our quest for justice are ego enriching. But, at the end of the day, it is about our most basic and dearest God inspired constitutional rights as Americans. This is what the wrongful conviction case is about, and this is why we find ourselves doing this work.

"Paul Ciolino is old school. Right is right and wrong is wrong. With street smarts and a sixth sense for where to look, Ciolino won't let go until he's found what he's looking for, which is quite simply justice. And now he's written a highly readable, straight-ahead, tell-it-like-it-is guide to let us in on what he knows."-Alex Kotlowitz, Author of There Are No Children Here, Never a City So Real, and The Other Side of the River

Herein lies the root of the issue. Justice, morality, and freedom. This is what our fight is about. This is what it boils down to for me and I hope for you as well. Money is nice. Professional recognition by our peers is great. Warm and fuzzy media stories about our quest for justice are ego enriching. But, at the end of the day, it is about our most basic and dearest God inspired constitutional rights as Americans. This is what the wrongful conviction case is about, and this is why we find ourselves doing this work.

"Paul Ciolino is old school. Right is right and wrong is wrong. With street smarts and a sixth sense for where to look, Ciolino won't let go until he's found what he's looking for, which is quite simply justice. And now he's written a highly readable, straight-ahead, tell-it-like-it-is guide to let us in on what he knows."-Alex Kotlowitz, Author of There Are No Children Here, Never a City So Real, and The Other Side of the River

Herein lies the root of the issue. Justice, morality, and freedom. This is what our fight is about. This is what it boils down to for me and I hope for you as well. Money is nice. Professional recognition by our peers is great. Warm and fuzzy media stories about our quest for justice are ego enriching. But, at the end of the day, it is about our most basic and dearest God inspired constitutional rights as Americans. This is what the wrongful conviction case is about, and this is why we find ourselves doing this work.

The prisoners we meet in Wounded Wounders are wounders, who have themselves been wounded. They entrust their stories—told in their own words—to a companion, an incarcerated former Roman Catholic priest. They have never shared their stories before; there has never been anyone to listen or to care. What is revealed behind the tough, tattooed exteriors is a common humanity, and the unquenchable Divine Spark that refuses to be quenched.

Prisons are warehouses of human potential, graveyards of the human spirit. Whatever is good, hopeful and humane is gradually displaced within the inmates committed to them. In this brutal, surreal world of fear and degradation, kindness is perceived as weakness, and to be weak is to become vulnerable. Trust and intimacy are virtually non-existent.

Most prisoners enter the criminal justice system as juveniles. Over 60% are illiterate, 80% have drug-related issues, minorities are a disproportionate percent of the population. Out of these realities, these stories come.

Listening to these men, stereotypes fade into the realization that they are more than their crimes. When touched by the love of God and authentic human caring, they reach for their dreams and what is good begins to blossom. They hope, hurt and seek redemption no less than the rest of us.

Wright pulls no punches as he tells about an institution manipulated by drugs, politics, violence, gangs, and fear, where every action is scrutinized. He doesn't sugarcoat his vivid descriptions about long nights, hollow cells, strip searches, and predators, yet he also manages to show the good side of prison by sharing lessons learned, betterment programs offered, and heartfelt actions by generous staff. By including the stories of five prisoners with different backgrounds, Wright proves that each inmate experiences prison life very differently. Finally, he shares the touching words of his now-deceased sister, Katie, who provides a firsthand account of the trauma she suffered after his arrest and the strength she subsequently gained as a result.

One day Matt Wright will go home, and this will not be his life. For those about to enter prison and for their families they left behind, Wright has provided the information needed to help ease into a new life behind walls.

Wright pulls no punches as he tells about an institution manipulated by drugs, politics, violence, gangs, and fear, where every action is scrutinized. He doesn't sugarcoat his vivid descriptions about long nights, hollow cells, strip searches, and predators, yet he also manages to show the good side of prison by sharing lessons learned, betterment programs offered, and heartfelt actions by generous staff. By including the stories of five prisoners with different backgrounds, Wright proves that each inmate experiences prison life very differently. Finally, he shares the touching words of his now-deceased sister, Katie, who provides a firsthand account of the trauma she suffered after his arrest and the strength she subsequently gained as a result.

One day Matt Wright will go home, and this will not be his life. For those about to enter prison and for their families they left behind, Wright has provided the information needed to help ease into a new life behind walls.

Anyone who has to deal with America's legal system whether as a litigant or professional will find helpful insights interwoven with gallows humor in each irreverent chapter.

To succeed as an expert it is not enough to have technical expertise. It is necessary to be able to explain sometimes complex concepts to people of average ignorance by responding to questions and limitations that are often designed to confuse the issues. It is also necessary to have a pragmatic understanding of the legal system as applied in each jurisdiction. What is forbidden in Arizona may be required in Virginia.

The experts greatest challenge is to understand that deepest of mysteries, the mind of a lawyer.

Anyone who has to deal with America's legal system whether as a litigant or professional will find helpful insights interwoven with gallows humor in each irreverent chapter.

To succeed as an expert it is not enough to have technical expertise. It is necessary to be able to explain sometimes complex concepts to people of average ignorance by responding to questions and limitations that are often designed to confuse the issues. It is also necessary to have a pragmatic understanding of the legal system as applied in each jurisdiction. What is forbidden in Arizona may be required in Virginia.

The experts greatest challenge is to understand that deepest of mysteries, the mind of a lawyer.

This volume provides a clear and compelling introduction to one of the most important topics in the relation between psychology and law. Compiled by members of a Harvard seminar, it directs attention to the issues most often raised by the general public and by students of social science and criminal justice.

The frequently asked questions about the insanity defense address:

• its history and psychological aspects;
  
• the effects of different standards for determining insanity;
  
• the arguments for its retention, abolition, and revision;
  
• media and other responses to it;
  
• controversies around pre- and post-conviction commitment; and
  
• the roles of psychologists, psychiatrists, and lawyers.

The case examples illustrate a variety of outcomes and include individuals who were:

• found not guilty by reason of insanity;
  
• found guilty even though mentally ill; and
  
• not charged because of mental illness.

The extensive bibliography directs students and citizens interested in psychology, law, and criminal justice to further cases and analyses. The insanity defense is one of the most significant topics in psychoforensics. This brief and readable book is the first place to look for what most people want to know about the insanity defense.