Book excerpt: Offenders, Deviants or Patients? provides a practical approach to understanding both the social context and treatment of mentally disordered offenders. Taking into account the current public concern, often heightened by media sensationalism, it addresses issues such as sex offending, homicide and other acts of serious bodily harm. This fourth edition comes after extensive new research by academics and professionals in the field and reflects recent changes in law, policy and practice, including: new sex offending legislation proposals to amend homicide legislation a new mental health act. Using new case examples, Herschel Prins examines the relationship between mental disorders and crime and looks at the ways in which it should be dealt with by the mental health care and criminal justice systems. Offenders, Deviants or Patients? is unique in its multidisciplinary approach and will be invaluable to all those who come into contact with serious offenders or those who study crime and criminal behaviour.