Crisis Negotiations ─ Managing Critical Incidents and Hostage Situations in Law Enforcement and Corrections

The 5th Edition of this classic text presents a user-friendly resource for practicing negotiators and a ready reference for courses in crisis management in criminal justice, psychology, and criminology programs. The new edition has added summary bullet points for easy reference when negotiators are in the field, a review of the literature since the last edition appeared, a discussion of the strategic planning process involved in high-risk negotiation incidents focused clearly on the critical questions negotiators need to ask themselves about a high-risk incident, and a practical applied-psychology approach to personalities that engage in high-risk incidents.

• New focus on strategic and tactical planning in crisis incidents
• Fresh information on "debriefing the stress" after a crisis management operation


• Quick-reference "Bullet Points for the Field" available in the book and as a handy download from the companion website
• New case studies demonstrate lessons learned in recent crises
• Updated text boxes from authorities in the field
• New applied material on the personalities involved in high-risk hostage and barricaded incidents

Michael McMains consults with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, and private and public organizations, on crisis management issues. He has developed and presents training on workplace violence, hostage/crisis negotiations, family violence, crisis intervention for first responders, suicide intervention, hostage survival strategies, and traumatic stress. From 1982-2004, he was the Chief Psychologist and Director of the Victims Advocacy Section of the San Antonio Police Department. In 2010, he co-wrote curricula on negotiation with terrorists for the United States Department of State. In the course of his career he has consulted on more than 400 hostage/barricaded subject incidents. He is a certified Master Peace Officer in Texas and a certified Police Instructor.