Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-III Corrections Report

What is the difference between the MCMI-III Interpretive Report and the MCMI-III Corrections Report?

These reports differ in two major ways. First, the corrections report was normed on a correctional population rather than a psychiatric population. BR (base rate) modifications were made for those Clinical Personality Patterns scales (1–8B) where differences in prevalence were found between correctional inmates and psychiatric patients. (For males, these scales are 1, 2A, 2B, 4, 6B, 7, 8A, and 8B; for females, they are 2A, 3, 4, 6B, 7, and 8A.)

Second, the MCMI-III Corrections Report includes supplementary information that augments the MCMI-III Interpretive Report in several areas that are salient in correctional settings: need for mental health intervention, need for substance abuse treatment, need for anger management services, reaction to authority, escape risk, disposition to malinger, response to crowding/isolation, amenability to treatment/rehabilitation, and suicidal tendencies.

Is the MCMI-III Corrections Report based on empirical data?

Parts of the report are based on empirical data, and parts are based on Dr. Millon's theories and clinical insights. For example, each inmate is classified as "High," "Moderate," or "Low" in terms of his or her probable need for mental health intervention, for substance abuse treatment, and for anger management services. These classifications are based on prediction models developed as part of a large-scale research project involving over 10,000 inmates who completed the MCMI-III test at intake. (This research is described in more detail below.) Other behavioral and clinical predictions and inferences contained in the report, such as an analysis of the inmate's personality patterns and of treatment considerations, are theoretically driven.

With the high rate of incarceration for blacks and Hispanics, what is the cultural sensitivity of the MCMI-III Corrections Report?

Cultural sensitivity probably isn't an issue, but it can be studied in future research. For example, initial studies indicate that ethnic/cultural background isn't a factor in violent tendencies. (Gang membership was a poor predictor of violence in maximum security prisons.) The MCMI-III Corrections Report helps corrections staff deal with inmates and make the best management decisions regardless of ethnic/cultural background.

What additional research has been done regarding the usefulness of the MCMI-III Corrections Report in prison systems?

Between 1995 and 1999, approximately 10,000 consecutive inmate admissions to the Colorado Department of Corrections were administered the MCMI-III as a part of their intake screening. The results of this initial screening were then compared with the "real-world" outcomes obtained from routine management within the correctional system. This comparison produced the following data.

• An inmate with a score of 75 or more on the major depression scale is 950% more likely to be rated as a "high risk for psychiatric services" than an inmate with a score of 74 or less. This same inmate is 790% more likely to be given a psychiatric diagnosis, 740% more likely to be placed on psychotropic medications, and 450% more likely to be a "high user" of mental health time.
• An inmate with a score of 75 or more on the drug abuse scale is 1130% more likely to be rated as a "high risk for substance abuse services" than an inmate with a score of 74 or less. This same inmate is 130% more likely to be charged and convicted of a drug-related offense after being in prison.
• An inmate with a score of 75 or more on the antisocial scale is 420% more likely to be rated as a "high risk for substance abuse services" than an inmate with a score of 74 or less. This same inmate is 120% more likely to be charged and convicted of a drug-related offense after being in prison.
• An inmate with a score of 75 or more on the alcohol abuse scale is 140% more likely to be rated as a "high risk for assaultive problems" than an inmate with a score of 74 or less. This same inmate is 140% more likely to be charged and convicted of an assault after being in prison. For more information on this study, contact us at 800-627-7271.

Can I receive an interpretive report (not a corrections report) for an examinee in a Correctional Inmate setting?

Yes. When the Correctional Inmate setting is indicated, the clinician can choose to receive either the MCMI-III Interpretive Report or the Corrections Report. If an MCMI-III Interpretive Report is generated for the Correctional Inmate setting, the original psychiatric norms will be used. The only difference between an interpretive report for this setting and one for any other setting is that the examinee is referred to as an "inmate" rather than as a "patient." If the corrections report is generated, the correctional norms will be used.

Is there research to support the usefulness of the MCMI-III Corrections Report in prison systems?

In a large-scale study, the MCMI-III test scores of over 10,000 state prison inmates tested at intake were compared to important outcomes obtained from the state's inmate management system in the areas of mental health, substance abuse, and violence. Scores on many of the individual MCMI-III scales showed strong predictive relationships with outcomes such as intake rating of apparent need for mental health intervention and substance abuse treatment, subsequent prescription of psychotropic medication, and subsequent involvement in psychotherapy.

Further, as mentioned above, three prediction models were developed from the data, each involving a different set of MCMI-III predictor scales. These models are used in the MCMI-III Corrections Report to classify each inmate according to his or her probable need for mental health intervention, substance abuse treatment, and anger management services. The validity of these classifications was demonstrated in a cross-validation sample. For example, the higher the level of need for mental health intervention predicted from the MCMI-III test, the more likely an inmate was (a) to be rated by corrections staff as requiring mental health services, (b) to subsequently be assigned a DSM™ Axis I diagnosis, (c) to subsequently be prescribed psychotropic medication, and (d) to subsequently be seen by a mental health professional for 15 or more minutes per month. Need for substance abuse treatment and need for anger management services predicted from the MCMI-III models were similarly shown to relate to corrections staff ratings made at intake and to objective outcomes over a follow-up period. Details of this research, as well as tables showing specific results, are given in the MCMI-III Corrections Report User's Guide.

Can I receive an Interpretive Report (not a Corrections Report) for an examinee in a correctional inmate setting?

Yes. When the Correctional Inmate setting is indicated, the clinician can choose to receive either the MCMI-III Interpretive Report or the Corrections Report. If an MCMI-III Interpretive Report is generated for the Correctional Inmate setting, the original psychiatric norms will be used. The only difference between an interpretive report for this setting and one for any other setting is that the examinee is referred to as an "inmate" rather than as a "patient." If the corrections report is generated, the correctional norms will be used.