NCJ Number
66939
Date Published
1976
Length
13 pages
Annotation
THE RESULTS OF A STUDY CONCERNING THE I.Q. AND SAT SCORES AND THEIR POTENTIAL IN IDENTIFYING SEVERE MANAGEMENT PROBLEM CASES AMONG MALE ADULT INMATES ARE ANALYZED.
Abstract
THE EARLY IDENTIFICATION OF INMATES LIKELY TO BECOME MANAGEMENT PROBLEMS THROUGH THEIR CONSISTENT RULE BREAKING IS ESSENTIAL FOR THE PREVENTION OF DANGEROUS ACTS OF AGGRESSION AGAINST STAFF AND OTHER INMATES. IN THE STUDY, 58 INMATES OF THE MAXIMUM SECURITY PENITENTIARY AT MARION, ILL., AND 29 SUBJECTS FROM THE GENERAL PRISON POPULATION (14 BLACKS AND 15 WHITES IN EACH GROUP) WERE ADMINISTERED A BATTERY OF TESTS INCLUDING THE REVISED BETA EXAMINATION AND THE STANFORD ACHIEVEMENT TEST. HALF OF THE INMATES FROM THE MAXIMUM SECURITY PRISON HAD A HISTORY OF UNRULY INMATE BEHAVIOR. A 4-WAY ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE SHOWED THAT FEDERAL CORRECTIONAL FACILITY INMATES ARE OF AVERAGE INTELLIGENCE, BUT FUNCTION AT A SCHOLASTIC LEVEL BELOW THAT OF THEIR ACADEMIC TRAINING. BLACK INMATES SCORED SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER ON THE BETA THAN DID WHITE INMATES; HOWEVER, FURTHER STANDARIZATION IS ADVISABLE TO DETERMINE THE TEST'S VALIDITY FOR BLACK INMATES. NEITHER GROUP (MAXIMUM SECURITY OR GENERAL PRISON) NOR RACE HAD ANY SIGNIFICANT EFFECT ON THE SAT SCORES. AN EXAMINATION OF THE RELATION BETWEEN TEST SCORES AND UNRULY BEHAVIOR INDICATES THAT BETA AND SAT SCORES ARE OF LITTLE USE IN IDENTIFYING MANAGEMENT PROBLEM CASES. NO DIFFERENCES APPEARED BETWEEN GROUPS IN EITHER TEST. IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT FACTORS OTHER THAN INTELLIGENCE AND LEVEL OF ACADEMIC FUNCTIONING SHOULD BE APPLIED TO IDENTIFY DANGEROUS INMATES. THE ARTICLE CONTAINS A BIBLIOGRAPHY AND SEVERAL STATISTICAL CHARTS. (SAJ)