Dr Dowling Is a Clinical Psychologist Who Is Interested in the Link

Essay

Dr. Dowling is a clinical psychologist who is interested in the link between mental illness and criminal activity. She gets IRB permission to study patients at all five inpatient/residential mental health facilities in her state. There are 4,307 patients currently living in these facilities. She asks patients whether they have ever been arrested for a crime and whether they have ever been convicted of a crime. She collects a sample size of 1,369. She finds that 27% (+/- 3%) report having been arrested for a crime but that only 13% (+/- 3%) have been convicted of a crime.
Dr. Dowling is interviewed by a journalist about the findings of her study. The journalist asks her to explain what it means that "27% of the sample (+/- 3%) report having been arrested for a crime."