Anger as a Predictor of Institutional Misconduct and Recidivism in a Sample of Violent Offenders

Abstract
This study investigated the relationship of self-report anger measures that measured anger within the context of interpersonal conflict or the outward expression of anger with criminal history, institutional misconduct, and recidivism. An incarcerated sample of 102 violent male offenders participated in the study. Self-reported anger was not associated with prior convictions and incarcerations. Selective scales were associated with minor institutional misconduct, but these relationships did not remain once impression management was accounted for. There was no relationship between anger and postrelease performance. Implications regarding the prediction of institutional misconduct and recidivism are discussed.