Sunday, December 09, 2018

Inside the Criminal Mind

Do you know someone who is committing crimes? If the person is close to you, such as a son or daughter, how do you deal with them? Stanton E. Samenow wrote a book in 1984 that is good as any I have read on the subject. It is called Inside the Criminal Mind. Here are a few quotes from the book's preface. Dr. Samenow became an associate of Dr. Samuel Yochelson in the program for the Investigation of Criminal Behavior at St. Elizabeth Hospital in Washington D.C.

Mental health professionals are ill-equipped to deal with criminals. Yochelson and Samenow developed a new approach based on the belief that criminals choose to commit crimes. Crime resides within the person and is "caused" by the way he thinks, not by his environment. What must change is how the offender views himself and the world. Criminals are not victims; they are victimizers who freely choose their way of life. Dr. Yochelson piloted a set of procedures that resulted in career criminals willingly changing their thinking so that they lived without injuring others and became responsible members of society.

The criminals discovered that effort, competence and reliability are usually rewarded and that they could accomplish worthwhile things without deception or intimidation.

The book is available now at Amazon for $13.95.

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