PRE AND POST PERSONALITY TEST RESPONSES OF PRISON INMATES WHO HAVE HAD THEIR DEATH SENTENCES COMMUTED TO LIFE IMPRISONMENT

• NCJ Number: 56295
• Journal: RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS IN PSYCHOLOGY, PSYCHIATRY AND BEHAVIOR Volume: 3 Issue: 2 Dated: (1978) Pages: 143-156
• Author(s): J H PANTON
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 12 pages
• Corporate Author: PJD Publications Ltd
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

RESULTS ARE REPORTED FROM AN ANALYSIS OF PRE AND POST PERSONALITY TEST RESULTS OF 55 MALE INMATES WHO HAD THEIR DEATH SENTENCES COMMUTED TO LIFE IMPRISONMENT; THE RESULTS ARE COMPARED WITH A SAMPLE OF INMATES.

Abstract

THE MINNESOTA MULTIPHASIC PERSONALITY INVENTORY (MMPI) WAS USED TO OBTAIN PRE AND POST-TEST RESULTS ON THE 55 MALE INMATES TESTED WHO HAD THEIR DEATH SENTENCES COMMUTED TO LIFE IMPRISONMENT. THESE TEST RESULTS WERE THEN COMPARED WITH THE MMPI RESPONSES OF A REPRESENTATIVE PRISON POPULATION SAMPLE OF 2,551 MALE INMATES. RESULTS REVEALED THAT THE DEATH ROW INMATES DEMONSTRATED FEELINGS OF RESENTMENT, DISTRUST, FRUSTRATION, ISOLATION, AND SOCIAL ALIENATION DURING THEIR INITIAL PHASE OF DEATH ROW CONFINEMENT. UPON COMMUTATION OF THEIR DEATH SENTENCES TO LIFE IMPRISONMENT, THEY DEMONSTRATED A REDUCTION IN RESENTMENT, DISTRUST, AND FRUSTRATION TO THE LEVEL FOUND IN THE GENERAL INMATE POPULATION; HOWEVER, THEY CONTINUED TO DEMONSTRATE, THOUGH TO A LESSER DEGREE, SIGNIFICANT FEELINGS OF ISOLATION AND SOCIAL ALIENATION. BOTH THE PRE AND POST-TESTING RESULTS IMPLIED FOR THE DEATH ROW INMATES A GREATER POTENTIAL FOR AGGRESSIVE ACTING-OUT BEHAVIOR THAN SHOWN BY THE POPULATION SAMPLE. THE DEATH ROW AND POPULATION SAMPLE INMATES' RESPONSES TO ADDITIONAL MMPI SUBSCALES SUPPORTED THE CONTENTION THAT FOR THE DEATH ROW INMATES THE PRIMARY CONCERN FOLLOWING POST-TESTING WAS WITH INDICES OF A BEHAVIOR DISORDER ASSOCIATED WITH FEELINGS OF SOCIAL ALIENATION AND TENDENCIES TOWARD ACTING-OUT BEHAVIOR. NEITHER THE PRE OR POST-TESTING OF THE DEATH ROW INMATES REVEALED ANY CLINICAL SIGNS OF DELUSIONAL, DISSOCIATIVE, OR BIZARRE THOUGHT PROCESSES. CAUTION IS EXPRESSED AS TO THE MANAGEMENT AND TREATMENT OF THESE INDIVIDUALS DURING THE ADJUSTMENT PHASE OF THEIR INTEGRATION INTO THE GENERAL INMATE POPULATION. TABULAR DATA ARE PROVIDED, ALONG WITH REFERENCES. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED---RCB)