Use of the MMPI as an Index to Successful Parole

The prison inmate's successful adjustment under parole supervision and his satisfactory continuation in the role of law abiding citizen upon his release from parole are contingent upon the successful meshing of many psychosocial factors of varying degrees of complexity. One of the most important of these factors is the basic personality structure of the individual prisoner; by virtue of its limited flexibility, it serves as a focal point and governs to a great degree the rehabilitative measures taken in an attempt to assure that the paroled prisoner will have at least a reasonable chance to function successfully in the social order beyond the realm of custodial control and supervision. The present study is concerned with whether there are measurable personality characteristics which could be utilized to assist in distinguishing successful parolees from parole violators prior to release from prison, and whether either of these groups is similar to or distinguishable from the prison population as a whole. Knowledge in this area would be of considerable value in pre-parole screening, especially in those institutions where attempts to screen out favorable parole candidates are begun during the initial classification process.