MMPI Characteristics of Difficult-to-Manage Federal Penitentiary Offenders

Many MMPI patterns for inmate prison groups have been reported, e.g., mean profiles for male prisoners being reported as 4' 26 91 76 3-50 ( 1 ) . Investigators have correlated offender MMPI profiles with various cr~m~nological criteria ( 2 ) . The present study investigated personality characteristics of a special population of young adult offenders in the U. S. federal prison system. These men had experienced educational and disciplinary difficulties and were being transferred to a new facility oriented toward rehabilitation. Identification of this group and planning appropriate treatment programs were needed. The booklet form of the MMPI was administered to 74 inmates selected at random at rhe U. S. Penitentiary, Marion, Illinois. Ss' M.,. was 24 yr., a Stanford Achievement grade level 8.9, and an over-all Mlo 105. None were atypical of the population in which they resided. Criteria of invalidity for both groups included raw F-I; of +9 or above, raw L score of 10 or above, raw F score of 16 or above. Comparison Ss were 120 literate male penitentiary inmates with a sixrh grade reading level o r above, admitted to a male penal instirution in Maryland (3 ) . Table 1 presents the raw score means, standard deviarions and rs of the offenders and the comparison group. Significant differences were noted in all but the Pd and Ma scales and K score. The scaled mean profile was 48' 27 6935-101 F L K / , which suggested that the offenders were lacking in behavioral controls as well as display~ng some serious misperceptions and inappropriate emotional reactions to their surround~ngs Examination of behavioral correlates and MMPI profiles is needed to plan specific treatment programs

Criminology · Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory · Personality · Clinical Psychology · Criminal Justice and Corrections Analysis · Personality Disorders and Psychopathology · Psychology · Psychopathy, Forensic Psychiatry, Sexual Offending · Social Psychology

• The MMPI as a primary differentiator and predictor of behavior in prison

  Milton L Gearing•Psychological Bulletin•1979

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