Racial and ethnic differences in the predictive validity of the level of service inventory-revised among prison inmates

The Level of Service Inventory?Revised (LSI-R) is a risk/needs assessment tool that is widely used in correctional settings. Extant research has demonstrated the predictive validity of the LSI-R for individuals under correctional supervision. Yet, few researchers have assessed whether the LSI-R and...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Chenane, Joselyne L. (Author)
Contributors: Brennan, Pauline Katherine ; Steiner, Benjamin ; Ellison, Jared M.
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Published: 2015
In: Criminal justice and behavior
Year: 2015, Volume: 42, Issue: 3, Pages: 286-303
Online Access: Volltext (lizenzpflichtig)
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Keywords:
Inmates
LSI-R
Predictive Validity
Prison misconduct
Race/ethnicity
Risk assessment
Description
Summary:The Level of Service Inventory?Revised (LSI-R) is a risk/needs assessment tool that is widely used in correctional settings. Extant research has demonstrated the predictive validity of the LSI-R for individuals under correctional supervision. Yet, few researchers have assessed whether the LSI-R and its various subcomponents predict prison misconduct similarly for White versus non-White inmates. Using data collected from male inmates confined in prisons across a Midwestern state, we examined the predictive validity of the LSI-R and its 10 subcomponents for White, Black, and Hispanic inmates. We found that the LSI-R predicted the prevalence of misconduct for inmates of varying races/ethnicities. However, we reached a different conclusion when we examined the incidence of misconduct; the LSI-R composite score and subcomponent scores showed greater predictive utility for White inmates than for non-White inmates. Our findings add to a growing body of research that suggests that the predictive validity of the LSI-R differs by offender race/ethnicity. We discuss the policy implications of our findings and offer recommendations for future research.
ISSN:1552-3594
DOI:10.1177/0093854814548195