On the basis of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, and later the MMPI-2, E, I. Megargee and colleagues empirically developed a classification system to enhance management and treatment of offenders throughout the criminal justice system. This preliminary study extended the application of the MMPI-2 based system for the first time to a non-U.S. prison sample and classified the MMPI-2 profiles of 1,636 male inmates from Belgian federal prisons. The typology was capable of classifying most of the subjects and all 10 Megargee types were represented. Compared to American prevalence data, types Delta and Charlie were overrepresented and type George was underrepresented. Issues that warrant further investigation are discussed.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
BohnM. J.CarbonellJ. L.MegargeeE. I. (1995) The applicability and utility of the MMPI-based offender classification system in a correctional mental health unit. Criminal Behaviour and Mental Health, 5, 14–33.
2.
ButcherJ. N. (1996) International adaptations of the MMPI-2. Minneapolis, MN: Univer. of Minnesota Press.
3.
ButcherJ. N.DahlstromW. G.GrahamJ. R.TellegenA.KaemmerB. (1989) Manual for the restandardized Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory: MMPI-2. An interpretive and administrative guide. Minneapolis, MN: Univer. of Minnesota Press.
4.
ButcherJ.DerksenJ. J. L.SlooreH.SirigattiS. (2003) Objective personality assessment of people in diverse cultures: European adaptations of the MMPI-2. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 41, 819–840.
5.
ClementsC. B. (1996) Offender classification: two decades of progress. Criminal justice and Behavior, 23, 121–143.
6.
CohenJ. (1988) Statistical power analysis for the behavioural sciences. (2nd ed.) Hillsdale, NT: Erlbaum.
7.
CohenJ. (1992) A power primer. Psychological Bulletin, 112, 155–159.
8.
DahlstromW. G.PantonJ. H.BainK. P.DahlstromL. E. (1986) Utility of the Megargee-Bohn MMPI typological assignments: study with a sample of death row inmates. Criminal justice and Behavior, 13, 5–17.
9.
De MeyH. R. A.DerksenJ. (1995) Het nieuwe uniform van de MMPI-2: omirent T-scores [The new uniform of the MMPI-2: about T-scores], Gedrag en Gezondheid, 23, 179–184.
10.
DerksenJ. J. L.De MeyH. R. A.SlooreH.HellenboshG. (2006) MMPI-2: Handleiding voor ofnome, scoring en interpretatie. (Rerziene editie) [MMPI-2: Manual for administration, scoring and interpretation. (Rev. ed.)] Nijmegen, The Netherlands: PEN Tests.
11.
Federale Overheidsdienst Justitie [Federal Public Service of Justice]. (2005) Justifie in cijfers [Justice by numbers]. Brussels: A. Bourlet. [Brochure]
12.
GilletI.SimonM.GuelfiJ. D. (1996) The MMPI-2 in France. In ButcherJ. N. (Ed.), International adaptations of the MMPI-2. Minneapolis, MN: Univer. of Minnesota Press. Pp. 395–409.
13.
Handelingen Senaat [Parliamentary Acts of the Belgian Senate]. (2003, November 20) (Vraag om uitleg van mevrouw Mia De Schampelaere aan de vice-cerste minister en minister van Justitie over de opsluiting van geïnterneerden in de gevangenissen) [Question posed by Mrs. Mia De Schampelaere to the vice-prime minister and minister of Justice concerning the incarceration of internees in the prisons]
14.
HathawayS. R.McKinleyJ. C. (1943) The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory. Minneapolis, MN: Univer. of Minnesota Press.
15.
HathawayS. R.McKinleyJ. C. (1996) Inventaire Multiphasique de personnalité du Minnesota-2. [Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2]Paris: ECPA.
16.
HuttonH. E.MinerM. H.LangfeldtV. C. (1993) The utility of the Megargee-Bohn Typology in a forensic psychiatric hospital. Journal of Personality Assessment, 60, 572–587.
17.
JohnsonD. L.SimmonsJ. G.GordonB. C. (1983) Temporal consistency of the Meyer-Megargee inmate typology. Criminal justice and Behavior, 10, 263–268.
18.
McNultyJ. L.Ben-PorathY. S.GrahamJ. R.MegargeeE. I.BlackM. S.ForbeyJ. D. (1999) MMPI-2 based Megargee Classification System characteristics of a state corrections population. Paper presented at the 34th Annual Symposium on Recent Developments in the Use of the MMPI-2 and MMPI-A, Huntington Beach, April.
19.
MegargeeF. I. (1977) A new classification system for criminal offenders. Criminal justice and Behavior, 4, 107–216. [Special issue]
20.
MegargeeE. I. (1994) Using the Megargee MMPI-based classification system with the MMPI-2's of male prison inmates. Psychological Assessment, 6, 337–344.
21.
MegargeeE. I.BohnM. J.Jr. (1977) IV: Empirically determined characteristics of the ten types. Criminal justice and Behavior, 4, 149–216.
22.
MegargeeE. I.BohnM. J.Jr. (With MeyerJ.Jr.SinkF.) (1979) Classifying criminal offenders: a new system based on the MMPI. London: Sage.
23.
MegargeeE. I.CarbonellJ. L.BohnM. J.Jr.SligerG. L. (2001) Classifying criminal offenders with the MMPI-2: the Megargee system. Minneapolis, MN: Univer. of Minnesota Press.
24.
MegargeeE. I.CarbonellJ. L.MercerS. J. (1999) MMPI-2 with male and female state and federal prison inmates. Psychological Assessment, 11, 177–185.
25.
MegargeeE. I.DorhoutB. (1977) III: Revision and refinement of the classificatory rules. Criminal justice and Behavior, 4, 125–148.
26.
MeyerJ.Jr.MegargeeF. I. (1977) II: Initial development of the system. Criminal justice and Behavior, 4, 115–124.
27.
MradD. F.KabacoffR.DuckroP. (1983) Validation of the Megargee typology in a halfway house setting. Criminal justice and Behavior, 10, 252–262.
28.
SimmonsJ. G.JohnsonD. L.GouvierW. D.MuzyczkaM. J. (1981) The Myer-Megargee inmate typology: dynamic or unstable?Criminal justice and Behavior, 8, 49–54.
29.
SlooreH.DerksenJ. J. L.HellenboshG.De MeyH. R. A. (1993) MMPI-2: Handleiding bij afname, scoring en interpretatie [MMPI-2: Manual for administration, scoring, and interpretation]. Nijmegen, The Netherlands: PEN Tests Publ.
30.
SlooreH.RossiG.PhamHoang T. (2004) MMPI-2 et diagnostic de troubles de la personnalité [MMPI-2 and assessment of personality disorders]. In de BeaurepaireC.BénézechM.KottlerC. (Eds.), Les dangerosités: de la criminologie à la Psychopathologie, entre justice et psychiatrie [The dangerousness: from criminology to psychopathology, between justice and psychiatry]. Paris: John Libbey Eurotext. Pp. 211–221.
31.
StreelE. (1998) Le MMPI-2: l'étalonnage français est-il applicable en Wallonie? [The MMPI-2: is the French standardization applicable to Wallonia?]. Unpublished master's thesis, Univer. of Liège, Belgium.
32.
WrobelN. H.WrobelT. A.McIntoshJ. W. (1988) Application of the Megargee MMPI Typology to a forensic psychiatric population. Criminal justice and Behavior, 15, 247–254.
33.
WrobelT. A.CaloviniP. K.MartinT. O. (1991) Application of the Megargee MMPI Typology to a population of defendants referred for psychiatric evaluation. Criminal justice and Behavior, 18, 397–405.
34.
ZagerL. D. (1983) Response to Simmons and associates: conclusions about the MMPI-based classification system's stability are premature. Criminal justice and Behavior, 10, 310–315.
35.
ZagerF. D. (1988) The MMPI-based criminal classification system: a review, current status, and future directions. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 15, 39–57.
