Prisoners and locus of control: initial assessments of a specific scale

The relatively few studies conducted with prisoners' locus of control suggest an important relationship between locus of control and prisoners' adjustment. However, one obstacle to further development of this knowledge is lack of appropriate measurement. This paper is an account of initial assessments conducted with a locus of control measure specific to the prison environment. All tests support the reliability and validity of the scale. Results of the assessments also indicate changes which should be made to improve the psychometric properties of the scale. Further assessments will need to be conducted after the instrument is revised. Use of the Prison Locus of Control scale should facilitate and lend accuracy to research with prisoners. The scale items are provided.