AGE, TESTOSTERONE, AND BEHAVIOR AMONG FEMALE PRISON-INMATES

Objective: The objective of the study was to determine how testosteron e levels, both alone and interacting with age, were associated with cr iminal behavior and institutional behavior among female prison inmates . Method: Subjects were 87 female inmates in a maximum security state prison. Criminal behavior was scored from court records. Institutional behavior was scored from prison records and interviews with staff mem bers. Testosterone levels were scored from radioimmunoassay of saliva samples. Results: Product-moment correlations revealed first-order rel ationships among age, testosterone, criminal behavior, and institution al behavior. Structural equation analysis suggested a causal model in which age leads to lower testosterone, which in turn leads to less vio lent crime and less aggressive dominance in prison. Conclusion: Testos terone is related to criminal violence and aggressive dominance in pri son among women, as has been reported among men. Changes in these beha viors with age are in part explained by a decline in testosterone leve ls.