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The Performance of Incarcerated Juveniles on the MacArthur Competence Assessment Tool-Criminal Adjudication (MacCAT-CA)

Dr. Ficke is Clinical Psychologist at TriHealth Community Outreach Program, Cincinnati, OH. Dr. Hart is Professor, Department of Psychology, Xavier University, and Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychologist, Hamilton County Juvenile Court Psychology Clinic, Cincinnati, OH. Dr. Deardorff is Psychology Clinic Director and Clinical Psychologist, Hamilton County Juvenile Court Youth Center, Cincinnati, OH. Address correspondence to: Kathleen J. Hart, PhD, Department of Psychology, Xavier University, Cincinnati, OH 45207-6411. E-mail: hartk{at}xavier.edu

The MacArthur Competency Assessment Tool-Criminal Adjudication (MacCAT-CA) is a structured interview that assesses abilities related to an individual's competency to stand trial (CST). In the present study, we examined the performance of 247 juvenile offenders on the scales of the MacCAT-CA (Understanding, Reasoning, and Appreciation), along with several other variables (age, IQ, achievement level, experience with the juvenile justice system, and a screen for psychopathology) that may be related to CST. In general, results suggest that performance on the MacCAT-CA varied with age, with younger participants performing significantly worse than older juveniles. When compared with the normative data, the juveniles in the present sample demonstrated deficits in court-related skills measured by the MacCAT-CA across all age ranges. In addition, several other variables, including achievement level, intelligence level, and psychopathology, were differentially related to the three scales of the MacCAT-CA.

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