The STAXI as a measure of inmate anger and a predictor of institutional offending

Abstract

A sample of 285 federal offenders admitted to a psychiatric hospital in Canada participated in consecutive runs of a six-month intensive anger management program over a 15-year period. The State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory (STAXI) test scores before and after the programs were collected and analysed, together with data on anger-related institutional offending. Statistical analysis revealed a significant decrease in the composite STAXI score and in the trait subscale score. Improvement in STAXI scores was accompanied by a decrease in institutional offending compared to baseline, suggesting that the anger management program had beneficial clinical and correctional results and that the STAXI, when used together with offending data, is a valuable assessment tool.

Keywords:

• CBT intervention
• psychometric predictors of offending
• violence risk
• institutional offending
• post-program evaluation