Using 88 studies from 1980 to 2006, a meta-analysis compares risk instruments and other psychological measures on their ability to predict general (primarily nonsexual) violence in adults. Little variation was found amongst the mean effect sizes of common actuarial or structured risk instruments (i.e., Historical, Clinical, and Risk Management Violence Risk Assessment Scheme; Level of Supervision Inventory-Revised; Violence Risk Assessment Guide; Statistical Information on Recidivism scale; and Psychopathy Checklist-Revised). Third-generation instruments, dynamic risk factors, and file review plus interview methods had the advantage in predicting violent recidivism. Second-generation instruments, static risk factors, and use of file review were the strongest predictors of institutional violence. Measures derived from criminological-related theories or research produced larger effect sizes than did those of less content relevance. Additional research on existing risk instruments is required to provide more precise point estimates, especially regarding the outcome of institutional violence.

A meta-analysis was conducted to assess the effectiveness of correctional treatment for reducing institutional misconducts. Sixty-eight studies generated 104 effect sizes involving 21,467 offenders. Behavioral treatment programs produced the strongest effects ( r = .26, CI = .18to .34). The numbers of criminogenic needs targeted and program therapeutic integrity were found to be important moderators of effect size. Prison programs producing the greatest reductions in misconduct were also associated with larger reductions in recidivism. The magnitudes of various indices of treatment effect size with respect to misconducts were remarkably similar to results in the correctional treatment literature where community recidivism is the criterion. Recommendations are made that will assist prison authorities to manage prisons in a safe and humane manner.

We assessed the validity and stability of the Swedish developed Youth Psychopathic Traits Inventory (YPI; Andershed, Kerr, Stattin, & Levander, 2002) in Canadian nonforensic young adults. In Study 1, a total of 217 undergraduates completed the YPI as well as the Psychopathic Personality Inventory-Revised (PPI-R; Lilienfeld & Widows, 2005) and the Levenson Self-Report Psychopathy Scale (LSRP; Levenson, Kiehl, & Fitzpatrick, 1995). These measures were completed twice, with a mean of 28 days between administrations. Total YPI was strongly correlated with the PPI-R but also with the LSRP subscales. YPI higher order dimensions were meaningfully correlated with PPI-R dimensions of similar content. The YPI yielded fairly high temporal stability and was similar to the PPI-R and LSRP Primary Psychopathy scale. Using 111 undergraduates, in Study 2, we found the YPI was positively associated with antisocial attitudes and impulsivity and negatively associated with agreeableness and conscientiousness. This research extends the validity of the YPI beyond adolescents to Canadian young adults from nonforensic settings. Given its promise as a measure of psychopathic traits in adolescents and young adults, the YPI may prove useful in longitudinal research across these developmental periods.

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