An Actuarial Model for Assessment of Prison Violence Risk Among Maximum Security Inmates

Abstract

An experimental scale for the assessment of prison violence risk among maximum security inmates was developed from a logistic regression analysis involving inmates serving parole-eligible terms of varying length (n = 1,503), life-without-parole inmates (n = 960), and death-sentenced inmates who were mainstreamed into the general prison population (n = 132). Records of institutional violent misconduct of these 2,595 inmates were retrospectively examined for an 11-year period (1991 to 2002). Predictors affecting the likelihood of such misconduct included age, type and length of sentence, education, prior prison terms, prior probated sentences, and years served. The scale was modestly successful, as demonstrated by an overall omnibus area under the curve of .719. Double cross-validation demonstrated minimal shrinkage. The authors have termed this experimental scale the Risk Assessment Scale for Prison.

Serious assaults on prison staff: A descriptive analysis

“…The observed over-representation of Black inmates among perpetrators of serious assaults on staff in the current study may also be secondary to unspecified macro-level variables. For all of these reasons, some researchers have responded by excluding racerelated variables from risk models for prison violence (i.e., Cunningham et al, 2005;Cunningham & Sorensen, 2006, 2007.…”

“…If the relationship between individual-level factors and serious assaults on staff were consistent with those characteristics identified from studies relying on inmate violence as more broadly defined, it is anticipated that these attacks would be disproportionately perpetrated by inmates who are younger (Berk, Kriegler, & Baek, 2006;Cooper & Werner, 1990;Harer & Steffensmeier, 1996;Wooldredge, 1991), male (Baskin, Sommers, & Steadman, 1991;Harer & Langan, 2001), Black (DeLisi, Berg, & Hochstetler, 2004Harer & Steffensmeier, 1996; but see Jiang & Fisher-Giorlando, 2002;Cunningham, Sorensen, Vigen, & Woods, 2010), lacking a high school diploma or GED (Cunningham, Sorensen, & Reidy, 2005;Cunningham & Sorensen, 2006;Harer & Langan, 2001), members of prison gangs (DeLisi et al, 2004;Drury & DeLisi, 2011;Gaes et al, 2002), serving longer sentences for violent crimes (Berk et al, 2006;Griffin & Hepburn, 2006;Huebner, 2003; but see Cunningham & Sorensen, 2006;, housed in higher custody levels (Cunningham & Sorensen, 2006;Worrall & Morris, in press), with prior prison terms Cunningham et al, 2005;Sorensen & Pilgrim, 2000; but see Cao, Zhoa, & Van Dine, 1997), and particularly those with prior histories of prison violence (Drury & DeLisi, 2010;Harer & Langan, 2001).…”

A Critical Review on Role of Prison Environment on Stress and Psychiatric Problems among Prisoners

“…Mark D. Cunningham, Jon R. Sorensen, Thomas J. Reidy (2005), examined the risk among maximum security. An experimental scale for the assessment of prison violence risk among maximum security inmates was developed from a logistic regression analysis involving inmates serving paroleeligible terms of varying length (n = 1,503), life-without-parole inmates(n = 960), and death-sentenced inmates who were mainstreamed into the general prison population (n = 132).…”

Predicting Institutional Violence among Death Row Inmates: The Utility of the Sorensen and Pilgrim Model

“…In recent years, however, paralleling the trends in violence risk assessment in general (Borum 1996), mental health experts have increasingly employed actuarial methods, empirically derived risk assessment instruments, and clinical measures identified as being related to violence (e.g., Psychopathy Checklist-Revised; Edens et al 2001) in capital sentencing evaluations. Both Cunningham et al (2005) and Edens et al (2005) have reviewed these instruments and discussed their limited applicability to capital sentencing evaluations. Nevertheless, it is useful to identify factors that must be considered in judging the applicability of risk assessment instruments to such unique, high security prison settings as death row.…”