296 I! Corrections and Prison Practices—Civic Forensics
mentally retarded. Screening and evaluating an inmate prior to placing the person
in a housing unit is perhaps the most important aspect in developing appropriate
services for a prisoner with mental retardation (Exuni et ai, 1992). This is the stage
where mental disability characteristics can be determined for prisoners.
Bowker and Schweid (1992) reported a profile of the mentally retarded offender.
Ninety-one percent were male, 57% were African American, 48% were between
the ages of 20 and 24, 73% were single, 13% completed high school. 67% were
repeat offenders, and the mean full-scale IQ was 68. A program in Florida reported
that a majority of the mentally retarded inmates were male, African American, and
under age 30. Due to the higher number of African-American mentally retarded
inmates, Ho (1996) conducted a study which examined race as a factor in predicting
those inmates who would be diagnosed as mentally retarded. The researcher found
that the effect of race did not make any significant addition to the prediction.
"Regardless of race, the offender who had a low IQ or a severe deficit in adaptive
behavior was most likely to be diagnosed as having severe retardation" (Ho, 1996,
p. 343). Ho reported that IQ was the strongest determinant tor predicting mental
retardation among offenders.
The type of instrument used to measure intelligence is an important factor to
consider because the way in which inmates are screened can affect the prevalence
of retardation. Often a group test is administered to incoming offenders because
it saves time. Yet, Spruill and May (1988) found that group testing overestimates
the prevalence of mental retardation. They found that if inmates were administered
an individual intelligence test, such as the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, then
there was a lower prevalence of retardation. Upon questioning inmates who had
been tested, they learned that many were very anxious upon entering prison, and
the group testing did not allay their anxieties. The inmates also reported that they
did not understand why they were being tested and, therefore, some did not try to
do their best on the tests.
Despite this finding, prisons do still administer group screening tests because
of the sheer volume of inmates that must be processed. Georgia State Prison has a
mental retardation program which uses a group screening test to identify individuals
who score less than 80 (J. N. Hall, 1992). The Texas Department of Corrections
also screens all incoming inmates for mental retardation. If a prisoner scores less than
73 on a standard intelligence test, then he or she is sent to the mental retardation
unit for a 30-day evaluation (Santamour, 1990).
Once an inmate has been identified with mental disabilities, what types of ser-
vices are available?}. N. Hall (1992) describes two state approaches to treating this
population. The South Carolina Department of Corrections has a Habilitation Unit.
This is a minimum-security unit reserved for those with developmental disabilities.
Services such as special education, life-skills training, vocational preparation, recre-
ation, counseling, and prerelease preparation are offered. These programs are run
by a team of professionals which includes psychologists, special education teachers,
and vocational specialists. The primary goal is to provide appropriate training which