Personality disorders of inmates having committed aggravated crimes

Abstract

A study was carried out at Monteria city Middle Security Jail (EPCMS), during the term May 2010 through November 2011; 189 inmates were evaluated; 179 men (88%), and 22 women (12%), aging between 18 and 55 years (Mean 34.67, DE 9,94). The purpose of such project was to establish, in comparative terms, personality disorders and types of crimes in the studied sample, accounting for such relationship, but not establishing causality links. The methodology used was descriptive – comparative – quantitative. Measurement instruments: Structured Clinical Interview for Personality Disorders of Axle II DSM-IV (SCID-II), and International Test on Personality Disorders (I.P.D.E.). The most personality disorders were as follows: Obsessive compulsive, Paranoid, Narcisist, Limit, Schisoid, Schisotypical, Dependent, and Avoiding. 20-50 age rank represents the period of highest risk of delinquence for those undergoing personality disorders. The most frequent crimes associated to such personality disorders were homicide, sex abuse, assets laundering, against security of the State, drug trafficking and other ofenses, kidnapping, among other. It is worth to stress that single presence of any personality disorder would not be an indicator of crime, or that a criminal suffers personality disorders, either.