NCJ Number
132103
Journal
International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology Volume: 35 Issue: 1 Dated: (Spring 1991) Pages: 63-71
Date Published
1991
Length
9 pages
Annotation
The hypotheses that Lifestyle Criminality Screening Form (LCSF) could identify disciplinary problem inmates in a minimum security, but not in a maximum security penitentiary, was tested in two studies of 80 male inmates confined in either high or low security Federal prisons.
Abstract
The LCSF is composed of four sections: irresponsibility, self-indulgence, interpersonal intrusiveness, and social rule breaking. In the first study, the LCSF successfully discriminated between disciplinary and nondisciplinary inmates in less a structured situation (minimum security), but not in a more highly structured situation (maximum security). In the second study, successively sampled inmates were organized according to their LCSF scores and compared as to the number of disciplinary reports received within a 6-month period. The results indicated that the total LCSF score predicted disciplinary problems in the minimum security facility, but not in the maximum security penitentiary. These results support the validity of the LCSF as well as the hypothesis that lifestyle criminals adjust best in environments which are highly structured and have problems functioning in less structured environments. Because the LCSF was 2- to 3-fold more effective than age in predicting disciplinary adjustment in the minimum security condition, it may be applicable to predicting adjustment life in the community. 3 tables and 16 references (Author abstract modified)