The Personal Concerns Inventory (Offender Adaptation): Measuring and Enhancing Motivation to Change

Measuring offenders’ motivation for treatment is important for selection and monitoring treatment engagement, yet few psychometrically robust measures of motivation exist. The Personal Concerns Inventory (PCI) was developed to assess motivation to change in people with addictive behaviours. It focuses on identifying goals in a wide variety of life areas, and two profiles have consistently been identified—adaptive and maladaptive. This study aimed to adapt the PCI for use with offenders and assess its suitability. Following amendment, 11 men serving prison sentences were interviewed using the PCI (Offender Adaptation, OA). Personal concerns related to self-change, and partner, family, and relationships were most commonly identified. Scores suggested that offenders show adaptive and maladaptive profiles, similar to those previously identified. The PCI (OA) has promise for use with offenders, although the issue of whether the PCI (OA) is better viewed as a measure of motivation or a motivational enhancer remains for further research.