Waynesburg U. faculty publishes textbook on Forensic Psychology

Dr. Kenneth Cairns, chairperson for the Department of Criminal Justice and Social Science, Assistant Professor of criminal justice and University counselor at Waynesburg University, recently published a textbook with Sage Publications, Inc. The book titled, "Forensic Psychology: An Inside Perspective on Criminal Thinking and Behavior," is now being used in curricula at colleges and universities across the country.

The idea for the book, which covers a variety of areas from experiences of victims, to the psychology of first responders, as well as behavioral analysis and the psychopathology of those who commit serial homicides, came to light after Dr. Cairns was unable to find a book that met his needs as an instructor of the topic.

"Every book I found was co-authored, with one author being a criminal justice professional with limited knowledge of psychology and the other author being a psychologist who knew the research on offenders but who had never actually worked with offenders," explained Dr. Cairns. "It occurred to me that I needed a book written by a psychologist who spent a career working closely with offenders. No such book seemed to exist, so I decided that I should be the one to write it."

Each chapter begins with a story from my experience as a psychologist in maximum and super-maximum-security prisons. That story is then woven into the topic of the chapter to provide a real-life example of the material discussed in that chapter."

With more than 20 years of experience as a psychologist for the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections before coming to Waynesburg, Dr. Cairns knew he had the knowledge and experience needed to fill the gap in available resources for forensic psychology courses, so he began writing to publishers hoping to find interest in his idea. Sage Publications, Inc, accepted his proposal.

"Each chapter begins with a story from my experience as a psychologist in maximum and super-maximum-security prisons," shared Dr. Cairns, who was also a member of the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections Regional Hostage Negotiation Team, and served as team leader of the SCI-Greensburg Critical Incident Stress Management Team and the SCI-Greensburg State Employees Assistance Program during his career. "That story is then woven into the topic of the chapter to provide a real-life example of the material discussed in that chapter."

One online reviewer commented, "Dr. Cairns skillfully breaks down complex psychological concepts into digestible, real-world examples, making the subject matter approachable for readers with varying levels of expertise." Also stating the book "should be a must-read for both professionals and students interested in what makes the criminal mind tick."

At Waynesburg, Dr. Cairns uses his textbook as a resource in his Forensic Psychology and Effective Behavioral Analysis courses. He encourages any students interested in the fields of criminal justice or psychology to read the book, sharing that "the manner in which mental health and criminal justice issues intersect is vitally important for professionals in either field."

He also encourages students to take risks and follow their dreams.

"I never intended to be an author…," he said. "…despite never having written a book before, I found that with enough time and effort, page by page, it did in fact become a reality. I encourage others to follow their dreams in the same way."

Dr. Cairns received a bachelor of arts degree from Adelphi University, and a master of arts degree and Ph.D. from Case Western Reserve University.

During his career with the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, he worked in specialized housing units for the severely mentally ill, extremely violent offenders and another unit for the most violent and impaired inmates in the prison system. He has spoken throughout the United States on topics including hostage negotiation, serial killings, personality disorders, behavioral analysis and crisis intervention.

Before his retirement, Dr. Cairns was promoted to the role of Western Regional Psychologist Manager, where he oversaw the delivery of mental health services of more than 16,000 inmates within eight state prisons.