Journal article
Statement of Concerned Experts on the Use of the Hare Psychopathy Checklist-Revised in Capital Sentencing to Assess Risk for Institutional Violence
Psychology, public policy, and law, v 26(2), pp 133-144
01 May 2020
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
Psychopathy as measured by the Hare Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R; Hare, 1991, 2003) is related to a range of rule-breaking and antisocial behaviors. Given this association, psychopathy has received considerable attention from researchers and legal professionals over the past several decades. Concerns remain, however, about using PCL-R scores to make precise and accurate predictions in certain contexts, including an individual's risk for committing serious violence in high-security custodial facilities. After a brief introduction to psychopathy and the PCL-R, we discuss capital sentencing in the United States and then summarize the empirical literature regarding the ability of PCL-R scores to predict violence, with a particular focus on the PCL-R's ability to predict serious institutional violence. As described, we believe the research demonstrates that the PCL-R cannot precisely or accurately predict an individual's risk for committing serious violence in high-security custodial facilities. Finally, we present a Statement of Concerned Experts that summarizes our findings and opinions, concluding the PCL-R cannot and should not be used to make predictions that an individual will engage in serious institutional violence with any reasonable degree of precision or accuracy, especially when making high-stakes decisions about legal issues such as capital sentencing.
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Details
- Title
- Statement of Concerned Experts on the Use of the Hare Psychopathy Checklist-Revised in Capital Sentencing to Assess Risk for Institutional Violence
- Creators
- David DeMatteo - Drexel UniversityStephen D. Hart - Simon Fraser UniversityKirk Heilbrun - Drexel UniversityMarcus T. Boccaccini - Sam Houston State UniversityMark D. Cunningham - Private Practice, Seattle, WA, USKevin S. Douglas - Simon Fraser UniversityJoel A. Dvoskin - University of ArizonaJohn F. Edens - Texas A&M UniversityLaura S. Guy - Simon Fraser UniversityDaniel C. Murrie - University of VirginiaRandy K. Otto - University of South FloridaIra K. Packer - University of Massachusetts Medical SchoolThomas J. Reidy - IS practice
- Publication Details
- Psychology, public policy, and law, v 26(2), pp 133-144
- Publisher
- Amer Psychological Assoc
- Number of pages
- 12
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Psychological and Brain Sciences (Psychology)
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:000529340000001
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-85078842899
- Other Identifier
- 991019168410204721
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- International collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Health Policy & Services
- Law
- Psychology, Multidisciplinary