Forensic Mental Health: The Insanity DefenseResources

Overview

This assignment supports this unit’s readings and discussions on forensic mental health, and specifically the insanity defense. The insanity defense generally relates to those considered to not be of a sound mind at the time that they commit their offense. This assignment will explore different aspects of the insanity defense.

By successfully completing this assignment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies:

• Describe the field of forensic psychology.
  • Describe how a forensic evaluator would determine whether the legal criteria for an insanity defense are met for the cases in the news articles.
• Apply psychological principles to topics in forensic psychology.
  • Describe an appropriate claim for each situation found in the news articles.
  • Describe the clues that might indicate a mental impairment in both cases in the news articles.
• Apply scholarly research findings to topics in forensic psychology.
  • Describe the relationship between mental health and the legal system.
• Apply psychological and legal ethics in the field of forensic psychology.
  • Describe the ethical concerns involved in both cases in the news articles.
• Communicate in a manner that is scholarly, professional, and consistent with expectations for professionals in the field of psychology.
  • Write coherently to support a central idea with correct grammar, usage, and mechanics as expected of a psychology professional.
  • Successfully implement APA style.

Assignment Instructions

From recent news publications, select two individuals with mental health issues who were involved in a forensic mental health situation, or who could have been involved given the circumstances surrounding the incident. Citing information from news articles and your readings for this unit, write a paper in which you complete the following for each case:

• Describe an appropriate claim for each situation found in the news articles (for example, competency to stand trial, insanity).
• Describe the clues from the news articles that might indicate a mental impairment in both cases.
• Describe how a forensic evaluator would determine whether the legal criteria for an insanity defense were met in both cases, using information from the unit readings.
• Describe the relationship between mental health and the legal system, using your course readings and the news articles.
• Describe the ethical concerns involved in both cases in the news articles.
• Write coherently to support a central idea with correct grammar, usage, and mechanics as expected of a psychology professional.
• Use APA style and formatting. 

Submission Requirements

• Written communication: Written communication is in professional style with correct grammar, usage, and mechanics.
• Resources: Use two current news articles.
• APA formatting: Resources and citations are formatted according to APA style and formatting.
• Length: 3 double-spaced, typed pages.
• Font and font size: Times New Roman, 12 point.

Refer to the Forensic Mental Health: The Insanity Defense Scoring Guide to ensure that you meet the grading criteria for this assignment.

You are urged to use the Smarthinking resource in the Capella University Writing Center, a resource that will help you develop clear and effective writing. With this resource, you will be able to receive feedback on your writing, use writing resources, discover new writing strategies, and explore different ways to draft, revise, edit, and proofread your own work.

You are required to submit your assignment to the Turnitin source matching tool.

Once you have submitted your paper to Turnitin, review the results, make any needed changes, and submit your assignment for grading. Be sure to include the corresponding Turnitin report.

Note: Your instructor may also use the Writing Feedback Tool to provide feedback on your writing. In the tool, click the linked resources for helpful writing information.

Describe an appropriate claim for each situation found in the news articles.

16% Does not identify an appropriate claim for each situation found in the news articles. Identifies but does not describe an appropriate claim for each situation found in the news articles. Describes an appropriate claim for each situation found in the news articles. Assesses an appropriate claim for each situation found in the news articles, drawing on scholarly literature to support the claims. Describe the clues that might indicate a mental impairment in both cases in the news articles.

16% Does not identify the clues that might indicate a mental impairment in both cases in the news articles. Identifies but does not describe the clues that might indicate a mental impairment in both cases in the news articles. Describes the clues that might indicate a mental impairment in both cases in the news articles. Articulates the clues that might indicate a mental impairment in both cases in the news articles, using other case examples. Describe how a forensic evaluator would determine whether the legal criteria for an insanity defense are met for the cases in the news articles.

16% Does not identify how a forensic evaluator would determine whether the legal criteria for an insanity defense are met for the cases in the news articles. Identifies but does not describe how a forensic evaluator would determine whether the legal criteria for an insanity defense are met for the cases in the news articles. Describes how a forensic evaluator would determine whether the legal criteria for an insanity defense are met for the cases in the news articles. Assesses how a forensic evaluator would determine whether the legal criteria for an insanity defense are met for the cases in the news articles and summarizes the approach. Describe the relationship between mental health and the legal system.

16% Does not identify the relationship between mental health and the legal system. Identifies but does not describe the relationship between mental health and the legal system. Describes the relationship between mental health and the legal system. Articulates the relationship between mental health and the legal system using scholarly literature. Describe the ethical concerns involved in both cases in the news articles.

16% Does not identify the ethical concerns involved in both cases in the news articles. Identifies but does not describe the ethical concerns involved in both cases in the news articles. Describes the ethical concerns involved in both cases in the news articles. Articulates the ethical concerns involved in both cases in the news articles using appropriate examples. Write coherently to support a central idea with correct grammar, usage, and mechanics as expected of a psychology professional.

10% Does not write coherently to support a central idea and does not apply correct grammar, usage, and mechanics as expected of a psychology professional. Writes to support an idea but does so inconsistently, and writing contains major errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics. Writes coherently to support a central idea with few errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics. Writes coherently, using evidence to support a central idea with correct grammar, usage, and mechanics as expected of a psychology professional. Successfully implement APA style.

10% Does not apply proper APA formatting and style. Written communication is adequate but has some APA errors and inconsistencies. Successfully implements APA style with only minor errors in format.

Applies scholarly writing skills and uses proper APA formatting and style in the body of the paper and references list.

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