NCJ Number
68231
Date Published
1975
Length
3 pages
Annotation
AMERICAN INDIAN HOMICIDES AND NON-INDIAN HOMICIDES (IDENTIFIED FROM BUREAU OF PRISON FILES) WERE COMPARED USING THE MINNESOTA MULTIPHASIC PERSONALITY INVENTORY (MMPI).
Abstract
WHEN ALL INDIVIDUALS IN FEDERAL CUSTODY AS OF 1975 WHO WERE CONVICTED OF HOMICIDE WERE IDENTIFIED, 96 OF THE 401 WERE FOUND TO BE AMERICAN INDIAN (23.9 PERCENT). IN CONTRAST, AMERICAN INDIANS REPRESENT 1.75 PERCENT OF THE TOTAL BUREAU OF PRISONS POPULATION. THIS DISCREPANCY INDICATES THAT INDIANS ARE OVERREPRESENTED FOR THE OFFENSE OF HOMICIDE. HOWEVER, AMERICAN INDIANS ARE MORE SUSCEPTIBLE TO FEDERAL PROSECUTION FOR HOMICIDES THAN THE GENERAL PUBLIC BECAUSE THEY LIVE ON GOVERNMENT RESERVATIONS. COMPARISON OF THE INDIAN AND NON-INDIAN GROUPS OF HOMICIDE OFFENDERS WAS DONE USING THE MINNESOTA MULTIPHASIC INVENTORY. AS A TOTAL GROUP, THOSE CONVICTED OF HOMICIDE SCORED SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER THAN THE NATIONAL NORM ON THE PSYCHOPATHIC DEVIATE SCALE. MAJOR FEATURES OF THIS PERSONALITY PATTERN INCLUDE REPEATED AND FLAGRANT DISREGARD FOR SOCIAL CUSTOMS AND MORES, AN INABILITY TO PROFIT FROM PUNISHING EXPERIENCES, AND AN EMOTIONAL SHALLOWNESS IN RELATIONS WITH OTHERS. THE NON-INDIAN POPULATION EXCEEDED THE NATIONAL NORM IN THIS REGARD, AND THE INDIAN ACHIEVED A LEVEL WHICH WAS NEAR SIGNIFICANT. INIDIANS SCORED HIGHER ON THE MEASURES OF (1) AGGRESSIVE FEELINGS, BAD THOUGHTS, TEMPTATIONS, AND LACK OF CONTROL OR CONFORMITY, AND ON (2) THE DENIAL OF PERSONAL INADEQUACIES, A TENDENCY TOWARD MENTAL DISORDERS, AND TROUBLE WITH SELF-CONTROL. NON-INDIAN MURDERERS SCORED HIGHER ON THE MEASURE OF NEUROTIC DEFENSES OF THE CONVERSION FORM OF HYSTERIA, AND THEY HAD A GENERAL TENDENCY TO USING PHYSICAL MEANS OF SOLVING CONFLICTS OR AVOIDING MATURE RESPONSIBILITIES. FOOTNOTES AND TABULAR DATA ARE GIVEN. (MRK)