This study provides ways to augment an already widely used measure to help improve predictive power. Results provide preliminary support for the Psychological Inventory of Criminal Thinking Styles (PICTS) when used in conjunction with the PCL-R; the proactive Factor 2 (antisocial behavior) of the PCL-R combined with the Superoptimism scale of the PICTS produced significant results. Results point to Factor 2 as a stronger predictor of recidivism than Factor 1, (interpersonal/affective). Because Factor 1 of the PCL-R is not as predictive of recidivism as Factor 2, using an alternative measure of criminal cognition can provide valuable information to treatment providers. Criminal thinking is a particularly useful concept when considering that the goal of risk assessment is violence prevention not prediction since it represents a dynamic risk factor that can be targeted in treatment. Results of this study identify a link between criminal thinking and recidivism, perhaps suggesting that one way to minimize the risk of recidivism is to target criminal thinking. Cognitive therapy has long been employed to treat a myriad of other psychological disorders; therefore, the progression of this therapy into a forensic setting is natural. Tables and references