Finding a Way Through: Predicting Institutional Adjudications and Treatment Completion Using the VRS and PCL-R Factor 2 in an Offender Personality Disorder Pathway Treatment Service

ABSTRACT

The Fens Service forms part of the Offender Personality Disorder Pathway (OPDP) and provides specialist psychological treatment to high-risk personality-disordered offenders. It employs a standard assessment battery to determine treatment eligibility. This retrospective research database study examines the use of two assessments used: the Violence Risk Scale (VRS) and Psychopathy Checklist–Revised (PCL-R) Factor 2 scores for predicting institutional adjudications and treatment completion. The study population consisted of 100 adult male personality-disordered offenders. The results found both measures significantly predicted adjudications within the first year of treatment (AUC values = .67, p values = .003), but neither measure significantly predicted treatment completion. Implications for the use of these assessments in identifying which service users may need additional support during initial case formulation are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Personality disorder
• psychopathy
• forensic psychology
• adjudications
• violence risk scale
• VRS
• PCL-R
• offenders