Psychological Screening Program for Correction Officer Applicants

• NCJ Number: 182683
• Author(s): Leonard I. Morgenbesser Ph.D.; Arthur Sichel Ph.D.
• Date Published: 1999
• Length: 10 pages
• Corporate Author: State of New York Dept of Correctional Services
• Sale Source: State of New York Dept of Correctional Services; NCJRS Photocopy Services
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Report (Annual/Periodic)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This thirteenth report of the Psychological Screening Program for applicants to become correctional officers for the New York State Department of Correctional Services summarizes the program’s activities for 1998.

Abstract

The legislature initially mandated the program in 1983 and has amended the law covering the program five times, most recently in April 1998. The program’s goal is to identify individuals displaying psychopathology or other psychological limitations that could significantly impair job performance and effectiveness. The program currently operates through a consultant contract. The psychological screening firm issued 1,701 final psychological ratings in 1998. Candidates appeared at the Albany Training Academy and completed a psychological test battery consisting of Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2, revised NEO Personal Inventory, the Quick Test, and Law Enforcement Screening Inventory. The candidate next completes a clinical interview with a psychologist. The psychologist considers the candidate’s personal history, psychological testing, and crucial job performance features. The final report integrates these three dimensions, comments on the interview, and rates the candidate on a six-point scale. Tables