NCJ Number
220449
Journal
Criminal Justice and Behavior Volume: 34 Issue: 9 Dated: September 2007 Pages: 1188-1197
Date Published
September 2007
Length
10 pages
Annotation
This study provided a preliminary evaluation of the construct validity and internal consistency of scales being used to develop the Inmate Prerelease Assessment (IPASS).
Abstract
Results indicated that the Inmate Prerelease Assessment (IPASS) construct validity and psychometric properties ranged from good to excellent and showed strong internal consistency with Texas Christian University Drug Screen, Client Evaluation of Treatment, and Counselor Evaluation of Client scales. IPASS was developed specifically as a measure of post release risk for prison based treatment graduates. By taking into account historical drug use and criminal activity of inmates as well as their performances during prison based treatment, the IPASS provides a priority score indicating the relative need for more or less intensive treatment services on release. In spite of the evidence showing that actuarial approaches perform as well as or better than the subjective approaches in making clinical judgments, many State correctional systems continue to make treatment decisions, whether from prison or aftercare phase using information about criminal histories, prior drug use, and inmate willingness to attend a particular type of program. Referrals that do not rely on more systematic clinical or actuarial information can dilute the treatment milieu and displace substance abusers who might have derived benefit from treatment had they been correctly identified and referred. Providing an intensive level of treatment to offenders with low levels of substance use and less severe criminal backgrounds is an ineffective use of resources. The IPASS is expected to enhance this referral process, and the psychometric data presented here should help encourage and support such efforts to improve the quality of informational components being used. The study used data from offenders paroling from prisons in two States to examine the psychometric properties of the IPASS subscales. Tables, notes, references