NCJ Number
64859
Journal
Criminal Justice and Behavior Volume: 6 Issue: 4 Dated: (DECEMBER 1979) Pages: 359-364
Date Published
1979
Length
6 pages
Annotation
THIS STUDY COMPARES MINNESOTA MULTIPHASIC PERSONALITY INVENTORY (MMPI) PROFILE PATTERNS OF OFFENDERS WHO WERE UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDED FOR PROBATION WITH THOSE OF INMATES WHOSE SENTENCING RECOMMENDATIONS DIFFERED.
Abstract
MMPI PROFILES OF 56 ADULT MALE OFFENDERS UNDERGOING FELONY PRESENTENCE EVALUATION WERE ANALYZED ACCORDING TO THE TYPE AND UNANIMITY OF SENTENCING RECOMMENDATIONS MADE INDEPENDENTLY BY CLINICIANS AND CASEWORKERS. OFFENDERS UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMEND FOR INSTITUTIONAL CONFINEMENT WERE CHARACTERIZED BY HIGHER LEVELS ON SCALES F, PD, PA, AND SC THAN WERE THEIR PROBATION-RECOMMENDED COUNTERPARTS, AND DISPUTED OR MIXED RECOMMENDATION CASES EXHIBITED INTERMEDIATE SCORES ON ALL FIVE SCALES. BECAUSE ONLY CLINICIANS EXAMINED THE MMPI PERFORMANCE OF THE SUBJECTS PRIOR TO MAKING RECOMENDATIONS, THE FINDINGS SUGGEST THE POSSIBLE USE THT CLINICIANS MIGHT HAVE MADE OF MMPI DATA DURING THE EVALUATION PROCESS. FOR CASEWORKERS, THE RESULTS SUPPORT THE CONSTRUCT VALIDITY OF THE MMPI INSOFAR AS IT IS SENSITIVE TO DEVIANT PERSONALITY TRENDS EVIDENT TO THESE DECISIONMAKERS FROM INTERVIEW AND/OR CASE HISTORY SOURCES OF INFORMATION. IT IS APPARENT FROM THE RESULTS THAT OFFENDERS WHO WERE RECOMMENDED BY CLINICIANS AND CASEWORKERS FOR INSTITUTIONAL CONFINEMENT ARE DISTINGUISHABLE FROM THEIR PROBATION-RECOMMENDED COUNTERPARTS BY THEIR RELATIVELY POOR JUDGMENT AND HIGHER LEVELS OF IMPULSIVITY, HOSTILITY, SOCIAL ALIENATION, ANXIETY, AND THOUGHT CONFUSION. REFERENCES ARE GIVENE. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED--MJW)