The Offender Personality Disorder Pathway: An exploration of the differences between offenders accessing a prison pathway service and a non-accessing population

Abstract

ABSTRACT As the Offender Personality Disorder (OPD) pathway continues to expand in Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service, the diversity and characteristics of offender populations accessing the pathway becomes an important area of study. This was the first controlled study to investigate the risk, personality, readiness to change and reflective functioning abilities of offenders accessing a range of OPD prison services and make comparisons with offenders from the wider non-OPD-accessing prison population. A total of 105 males participated. OPD-accessing groups included; a Progression Psychologically Informed Planned Environment (PIPE), a Provision PIPE and an OPD Outreach Service (OPD-OS). The study found significant differences between risk, personality pathology, difficulties maintaining change and reflective functioning abilities of offenders accessing the OPD services when compared to the wider prison population. The OPD-OS service caseload emerged as a particularly high risk and needs group. Further implications for service development and future directions are considered.