Can someone please explain me clearly about what is the actual work of a criminal psychologist?

Criminal psychologists work in the field of forensics, applying psychological principles to the criminal justice system. Much of their time is spent conducting evaluations of the accused and alleged victims. For example, a criminal psychologist might evaluate a defendant to determine his or her competency to stand trial. They might also interview the victim of a crime in order to establish a timeline of events. Providing expert testimony is another primary area of work for criminal psychologists. Working in civil, family, criminal, and military courts, criminal psychologists may provide testimony in a custody hearing on which parent they perceive to be more appropriate for custody of minor children. They might also work with witnesses or victims, particularly children, to develop a clearer picture of what happened and whether or not the witness will be reliable on the witness stand. Criminal psychologists can testify in military courts as well, speaking to the state of mind of the defendant during his or her alleged crime. Unlike their colleagues in the field of clinical psychology who work with a client over an extended period of time in order to bring about positive life changes, criminal psychologists focus on a single event (such as a specific crime) or a specific task (such as a mental health evaluation) and report their findings. They also tend to become experts in a highly specific field, such as victimology, chemical dependency evaluation, or sex offender treatment. Criminal psychologists may also attempt to explain why some individuals exposed to certain variables and stimuli become criminals, while others exposed to the same set of circumstances do not.

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