Psychopathy checklist score predicts negative events during the sentences of prisoners with Hare psychopathy: a prospective study at a German prison.

Objective: This study examined the predictive validity of the German translation of the Psychopathy Checklist-Screening Version (PCL-SV) for negative events during the course of the prison sentence of German prisoners.

Method: Using the PCL-SV, we investigated 145 offenders in a German prison at the start of their sentences. We then compared the extreme groups identified by the PCL-SV--the high and low scorers--using a prospective design with respect to negative events and factors during the course of the sentences.