NCJ Number
143538
Journal
Journal of Criminal Justice Volume: 21 Issue: 2 Dated: (1993) Pages: 143-150
Date Published
1993
Length
8 pages
Annotation
This study aimed to establish a reliable and valid method to identify working correctional officers who perform their duties "best" and "least best." Furthermore, it attempts to determine whether commonly used psychological tests could identify correlates of the "best/least best" status of working correctional personnel.
Abstract
The sample used consisted of 32 working correctional officers randomly selected from the staff of a medium-sized jail facility. Based on Likert-scale evaluations made by line supervisors, 20 of the subjects were rated as "best" and 12 were rated as "least best." All of the officers completed several psychological tests including, inter alia, the Correctional Officers' Interest Blank (COIB), the 16- Personality Factor Questionnaire (16PF), the Fundamental Interpersonal Relations Organization-Behavior Test (FIRO-B), the Wonderlic Personnel Test (WPT), and the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI). The Likert scales developed for this study, when cross-validated through tabulation of aggregated occurrences of negative inmate behaviors, appeared to be promising for identifying "best" and "least best" officers. The results indicated that the COIB would be useful for preselection psychological screening. The MMPI contained two scales that appeared to discriminate between officers, although the 16PF and the FIRO-B each had one useful scale. Psychological tests, as well as a structured interview with a clinical psychologist, should be used with other application information to judge an individual's suitability for corrections work. 2 tables and 23 references