Predicting Institutional Violence: Utility of the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised in a Mexican Prison Context

Abstract

Given the high prevalence of institutional violence within the Mexican prison system, the need for validated risk assessment measures is urgent. However, research on the predictive validity of such tools has been limited mainly to White, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic samples. This prospective study used quantitative methods to examine the effectiveness of the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) in predicting institutional violence in a sample of incarcerated individuals in Mexico over 3 months. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and prison record reviews from 114 adult males in a medium-security prison in Mexico City. Results showed that the PCL-R total score, Factor 2, and Facets 1, 3 and 4 were significant predictors of institutional violence. These findings have practical implications for risk assessment and management within Mexican correctional populations. Recommendations are offered to enhance the methodological rigor of future research endeavors in this area.