NCJ Number
50372
Journal
Bulletin of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law Volume: 5 Issue: 2 Dated: (1977) Pages: SYMPOSIUM ISSUE,P 210-255
Date Published
1977
Length
46 pages
Annotation
THE 1976 EVALUATION OF THE PATUXENT INSTITUTION, A MARYLAND FACILITY FOR THE CONFINEMENT AND TREATMENT OF OFFENDERS DESIGNATED 'DEFECTIVE DELINQUENTS,' IS REVIEWED CRITICALLY BY A MEMBER OF PATUXENT'S ADVISORY BOARD.
Abstract
THE PATUXENT INSTITUTION WAS CREATED TO PROVIDE PSYCHIATRIC AND OTHER SERVICES FOR OFFENDERS WHO, HAVING BEEN FOUND TO BE DEFECTIVE DELINQUENTS, WERE COMMITTED INVOLUNTARILY TO THE INSTITUTION TO SERVE INDETERMINATE SENTENCES. THE EVALUATION WAS CONDUCTED TO HELP THE STATE LEGISLATURE DECIDE WHETHER TO CONTINUE, TERMINATE, OR MODIFY THE PATUXENT PROGRAM. THE EVALUATION COVERED DECISIONMAKING PROCESSES RELATED TO THE FOLLOWING FACTORS: REFERRAL FOR EVALUATION, COMMITMENT, AND RELEASE; PATUXENT'S DIAGNOSTIC TECHNIQUES AND TREATMENT MODALITIES; RECIDIVISM; AND THE COST-EFFECTIVENESS OF THE PATUXENT PROGRAM. A CRITIQUE OF THE EVALUATION FOCUSES ON THE ISSUES OF PREDICTION OF DANGEROUSNESS AND RECIDIVISM. THE EVALUATION REPORT BASED SEVERAL OF ITS RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE CONCLUSION THAT, GIVEN EXISTING KNOWLEDGE, IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO PREDICT DANGEROUSNESS. THE CRITIQUE REVIEWS EMPIRICAL STUDIES OF DANGEROUSNESS AND ITS PREDICTABILITY, EXPLORES IMPLICATIONS AND INTERPRETATIONS OF THE STUDY FINDINGS, AND QUESTIONS THE EVALUATION REPORT'S CLAIMS CONCERNING THE UNPREDICTABILITY OF DANGEROUSNESS. THE EVALUATION REPORT FOUND COMPARABLE RECIDIVISM RATES FOR PATUXENT PAROLEES AND OTHER MARYLAND INMATES, NOTING THAT THE PATUXENT PAROLEES HAD MORE SERIOUS CRIMINAL HISTORIES THAN COMPARISON GROUPS. PATUXENT PAROLEES, HOWEVER, DID AS WELL AS OR SLIGHTLY BETTER THAN THE COMPARISON GROUPS ON ALL INDICATORS OF POSTRELEASE RECIDIVISM. THE EVALUATORS ARE CRITICIZED FOR NOT DISTILLING INPUT (CRIMINAL HISTORY) AND OUTPUT (RECIDIVISM) DATA IN A SINGLE TABLE AND FOR NOT INTRODUCING STATISTICAL CONTROLS (E.G., ANALYSIS OF COVARIANCE) TO ACCOUNT FOR PRIOR DIFFERENCES IN THE STUDY GROUPS. A TABLE THAT COMBINES INPUT AND OUTPUT DATA IS PRESENTED. IT IS SUGGESTED THAT A DEFINITIVE STUDY OF RECIDIVISM FOR PATUXENT INMATES, IF SUCH A STUDY IS POSSIBLE, BE CONDUCTED. THE EVALUATION REPORT IS ALSO CRITICIZED FOR OVERLOOKING THE INCAPACITATION FUNCTION OF PATUXENT. SUPPORTING DATA ARE INCLUDED. RESPONSES TO PORTIONS OF THE CRITIQUE MAY BE FOUND IN NCJ-50369, AND 50370. (LKM)