NCJ Number
172108
Journal
Journal of Offender Rehabilitation Volume: 25 Issue: 3/4 Dated: (1997) Pages: 123-130
Date Published
1997
Length
8 pages
Annotation
Records of 509 North Carolina inmates convicted of assaultive crimes were examined to determine the extent to which common background and psychological variables included decisions regarding promotion to a minimum-security setting.
Abstract
The participants had all received a sentence of 10 years or longer and had been evaluated for promotion to a minimum-security facility between January 15, 1990 and February 13, 1992. The background variables included early arrest, prior violent crimes, number of previous arrests, and institutional misconduct. The psychological variables included IQ tests and the schizophrenia and psychopathic deviate scales of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory. The data were examined using discriminant analysis. Results revealed that psychopathic deviate scores had the greatest impact on promotion decisions. In addition, all variables except IQ made statistically significant contributions to the predictions of promotion decisions. Overall, the resulting equation successfully classified 75 percent of the promotion recommendations. The discriminant function served as a basis for a computer program, which should improve promotion decisions by identifying recommendations that are inconsistent with an inmate's background and psychometric data. Table and 13 references (Author abstract modified)