NCJ Number
67448
Date Published
1976
Length
24 pages
Annotation
THIS STUDY EVALUATES THE USEFULNESS OF THE CORNELL INDEX AS AN AID IN IDENTIFYING POTENTIAL PSYCHIATRIC AND PSYCHOSOMATIC PROBLEMS OF PRISON INMATES IN ADJUSTING TO INSTITUTIONAL LIFE.
Abstract
INMATES TRANSFERRED FROM THE RECEPTION CENTER OF THE CHILLICOTHE CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION TO LONDON CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION IN LONDON, OHIO, HAD TO BE SCREENED FOR POTENTIAL PSYCHIATRIC AND PSYCHOSOMATIC PROBLEMS IN ADJUSTING TO PRISON LIFE. PRISON ADJUSTMENT WAS MEASURED ON THE BASIS OF INSTITUTIONAL RULE VIOLATIONS PER UNIT OF TIME. DUE TO STAFF AND TIME LIMITATIONS, AN INSTRUMENT HAD TO BE FOUND WHICH COULD BE ADMINISTERED TO A LARGE GROUP OF MEN SIMULTANEOUSLY, SCORED QUICKLY, AND PROVIDE A FAIRLY ACCURATE PREDICTION OF BEHAVIORAL ADJUSTMENT. THE CORNELL INDEX (A REVISION OF THE CORNELL SELECTEE INDEX USED FOR MILITARY SCREENING IN WORLD WAR II) WAS CHOSEN IN PREFERENCE TO LENGTHIER INSTRUMENTS. THE TEST WAS ADMINISTERED TO 524 ADULT MALE CONVICTS, RANGING IN AGE FROM 19 TO 67, AND WAS SUBSEQUENTLY COMPARED WITH THE SUBJECTS' ADJUSTMENT SCORES. USING THE MEDIAN TEST AND THE KRUSKA-WALLIS ONE-WAY ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE TECHNIQUES, THE .05 AND .001 LEVELS OF SIGNIFICANCE, RESPECTIVELY, WERE REACHED. THE EVALUATION PERIOD RAN FROM JANUARY TO SEPTEMBER 1974. USED IN COMBINATION WITH A SUBJECT'S DISCIPLINARY RECORD AND COMMITMENT OFFENSE CLASSIFICATION, THE CORNELL INDEX WAS FOUND TO BE A SIGNIFICANT AID IN DISCRIMINATING BETWEEN NONVIOLATORS AND INFREQUENT VIOLATORS ON THE ONE HAND, AND FREQUENT VIOLATORS ON THE OTHER. THE CORNELL INDEX IS NOT INTENDED FOR USE AS A DIAGNOSTIC INSTRUMENT, NOR AS A LABELING TOOL, BUT ONLY TO IDENTIFY POTENTIAL PROBLEMS IN AN INMATE'S PERSONALITY THAT MIGHT AFFECT HIS ADJUSTMENT TO LIFE IN PRISON. GRAPHS, TABLES, AND 18 REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (LGR)