DIFFERENCES IN THE MMPI SCORES OF 30 ELOPERS AND 30 NONELOPERS AT THE NORRISTOWN (PA.) STATE HOSPITAL REGIONAL FORENSIC PSYCHIATRIC CENTER WERE ANALYZED, AND THE FINDINGS WERE USED TO DEVELOP A FORMULA FOR PREDICTING ESCAPE ATTEMPTS. THE FORMULA CORRECTLY PREDICTED ELOPEMENT FOR 67 PERCENT AND 62 PERCENT OF TWO SAMPLES OF ELOPERS AND INCORRECTLY PREDICTED ELOPEMENT FOR 23 PERCENT OF NONELOPER CONTROLS. THE ANALYSIS SHOWS THAT MMPI SCALE SCORES CAN BE EASILY AND QUICKLY COMBINED TO PREDICT ELOPEMENT OF MENTALLY ILL OFFENDERS. WHEN ELOPEMENT IS PREDICTED BY THE METHOD DESCRIBED, THE PREDICTION IS CORRECT IN 85 PERCENT OF THE CASES. THERE IS A 15-PERCENT FALSE-POSITIVE RATE. THE STUDY ALSO SHOWS THAT ELOPERS TEND TO BE AGITATED, ANXIOUS, PARANOID, AND EXPERIENCING PREPSYCHOTIC OR PSYCHOTIC SYMPTOMS. IMPLICATIONS OF MMPI DIFFERENCES FOR THE PSYCHOLOGICAL STATUS OF ELOPERS ARE DISCUSSED, AS ARE THE UTILITY OF SUCH PREDICTIONS AND CAUTIONS TO BE CONSIDERED IN TERMS OF THE PATIENT'S RIGHT TO LEAST RESTRICTIVE TREATMENT. SUPPORTING DATA AND A LIST OF REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (LKM)