NCJ Number
219834
Journal
Corrections Compendium Volume: 32 Issue: 4 Dated: July/August 2007 Pages: 1-4,6
Date Published
July 2007
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This article examines an Australian study investigating the effect of psychological screening on objective performance measures among correctional officer applicants who had been hired.
Abstract
Study findings support the notion that psychological screening is an effective selection tool for correctional organizations. During the first 2 years of service, the Australian Institute of Forensic Psychology (AIFP) group took significantly less sick leave than the pre-group. A difference was also found in the third year, however not statistically significant. The 3 years worth of differences strongly contribute to, and are primarily responsible for, the overall 4-year difference between the two groups. The differences between the two groups narrowed noticeably at the fourth year of employment. The financial benefits of lower dropout rates and reduced sick days are compelling. Correctional work is a highly stressful occupation that can impact the health of correctional officers. Coping with stress is an important quality in a correctional officer. Pre-employment psychological testing has become sophisticated during the past decade with research showing the tests to be reliable and valid predictors of job performance. This article examines a study of pre-employment psychological profiling of Australian correctional officers performed with the Australian Institute of Forensic Psychology’s (AIFP) Public Safety Psychological Profiling System. Sick leave and attrition were compared between two groups of employees. The pre-group was a sample of correctional officers hired without psychological profiling, while the AIFP group only contained applicants who were judged to be psychologically suitable for correctional work. Table, figure, references