The Carceral State, Forensic Psychology, and Black Resistance

This volume outlines the theoretical and ethical commitments for forensic psychologists in the struggle for Black liberation and details areas of focus for practice and research. It aims to highlight how Black forensic psychologists have historically engaged in these areas through the lens of Black psychology.

The chapters that follow extensively cover the often overlooked relationship between forensic psychology and Black liberation, including chapters on:

• Black forensic psychologists whose work contributed to political movements;

• The psychologist's role in supporting reparations movements;

• The importance of community healing collectives as alternatives to incarceration and policing;

• Recommendations for introducing Black psychology into forensic practice.

Examining the role of forensic psychology within America's racialized carceral systems, this book critically analyzes how psychological research and practice influence legal and material outcomes for Black individuals. Grounded in historical context and contemporary case studies, it offers essential insights for practitioners, activists, and scholars committed to challenging the systemic harms that disproportionately affect Black communities within the most incarcerated nation in the world.

Part 1: Theories of Black Liberatory Forensics. - 1. A Maroon Psychology: Hilliard s Vision for Black Liberatory Forensic Praxis. - 2. APA on Trial: A Comparative Analysis of Psychopolitical Ethics for Black Liberation Psychology. - 3. Confronting the Juvenile Legal System from a Critical Race Perspective. - . Part 2: Practices of Black Liberatory Forensics. . - 4. Our Legitimate and Unavoidable Impatience :


Forensic Mental Health Assessment and the Black Experience. - 5. African-Centered Assessment for an Optimal Psychological Forensic Practice. - 6. Sawubona (I/We See You): Confronting the Disenfranchised Grief of Justice-Involved Persons. - 7. Culturally Responsive Treatments Targeting Recidivism and Delinquency Risk: A Systematic Review of Interventions Developed for Black Youth. - . Part 3: Collective Action in Black Liberatory Forensics. - 8. Resisting the Mental Health Industrial Complex: Honoring Ancestral Wisdom and Adopting African/Indigenous-Based Therapeutic Practices. - 9. We Who Believe in Freedom : The Duty of Forensic Psychology to Reparations Movements. - 10. Even Through the Chains, I See Our Freedom : Community Defined Evidence Practices for Black Mental Health Justice and Liberation.