NCJ Number
79735
Date Published
Unknown
Length
23 pages
Annotation
The methodology and findings of a review of psychological screening in hiring nonclerical correctional personnel are presented.
Abstract
The review consisted of (1) personal contacts with agencies, clearinghouses, and others; (2) a survey of reference material from NCJRS; (3) a literature search which consisted of reviews of the last 2 years' issues of social science journals; and (4) a survey of testing used in other State correctional systems. The use of personality inventories as employee selection devices was found to be a controversial issue, with public opposition to the use of such tests centering around ethical considerations. Questions have been raised about the interpretation of these test results, and concern has been expressed about the validity of personality inventories. Since such selection devices must show objectivity and satisfy equal employment opportunity standards, it is crucial that the validity of the testing be firmly established, or an agency could be vulnerable to litigation. This involves establishing an empirically demonstrated relationship between the construct measured by the test and job performance requirements. Currently, there is a paucity of validity studies on these tests. Only 7 of the 50 States indicated that they currently use some form of psychological screening for correctional officers. Four of these States use the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory as a major screening device. An annotated bibliography with nine listings is provided, along with four footnotes.