NCJ Number
205788
Journal
Criminal Justice and Behavior Volume: 31 Issue: 2 Dated: April 2004 Pages: 203-243
Date Published
April 2004
Length
41 pages
Annotation
This article is a critique-response to a recent journal article concerning the Hare Psychotherapy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R).
Abstract
In a previous article, authors Gendreau, Goggin, and Smith offered that the Level of Service Inventory-Revised is generally superior to the Psychotherapy Checklist-Revised for predicting recidivism and violence. This article argues that both instruments are useful, but for different reasons. It posit that the Level for Service Inventory-Revised is a specialized risk tool while the Psychotherapy Checklist-Revised and its derivatives measure one of the most explanatory and generalizable risk factors identifiable to date. This article takes particular issue with assertions by Gendreau et al, that “psychotherapy has negative connotations, the PCL-R is not user friendly, only criminal history (or PCL-R Factor 2) is important, the PCL-R and LSI-R are strongly correlated, and that the PCL-R lacks generalizability.” This study concluded that the LSI-R is a good, reasonably comprehensive purpose-built instrument, and its reputation as a predictive tool in the criminal justice system is justified. Nonetheless, the PCL-R is also claimed to be a good instrument, with a well-deserved reputation as the most reliable and valid measure of the clinical construct of psychotherapy currently available. 1 table, 8 notes, and 81 references