Gender-responsiveness in corrections: Estimating female inmate misconduct risk using the Personality Assessment...

Area of Science:

• Correctional Psychology
• Forensic Psychology
• Psychometric Assessment

Background:

• Inmate assessment is vital for correctional management and security.
• Existing assessment tools often lack validation for female inmate populations, despite known gender differences in adaptation and misconduct.
• The Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI) is increasingly used in corrections for inmate classification.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the incremental and predictive validity of the PAI for female inmates.
• To assess the PAI's association with general and assaultive disciplinary infractions in this population.
• To contribute to gender-responsive inmate classification literature.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a sample of 2,000 female inmates.
• Examined the validity of the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI) scales.
• Correlated PAI scales with general and assaultive disciplinary infractions.

Main Results:

• PAI scales Aggression (AGG), Antisocial Features (ANT), Paranoia (PAR), and Violence Potential Index (VPI) showed the strongest relationships with disciplinary infractions.
• Specific PAI measures like ARD-T and DRU, along with general substance abuse and mental health indicators, may aid gender-responsive assessments.

Conclusions:

• The PAI demonstrates validity in predicting disciplinary infractions among female inmates.
• Findings support the use of specific PAI scales for gender-responsive inmate classification.
• PAI measures can enhance the accuracy of assessments for female offenders.