Contemporary Issues in Risk Assessment (Webinar)

Risk assessment within criminal justice settings has recently been a topic of intense interest and scrutiny.

Sensational headlines and in-depth investigations have highlighted concerns with the methods and outcomes associated with risk assessment, addressing issues such as the ubiquitous nature of Big Data to the potential impact of risk assessments on racial disparities and mass incarceration.

This webinar will provide a comprehensive review of risk assessment in criminal justice settings. We will discuss the purposes and settings of risk assessment, how risk assessments are developed, the types of factors typically included, issues related to accuracy, and the different approaches to risk assessment.

We will also spend time discussing how to communicate the results of risk assessments, including a recent proposal to standardize how we do so. We'll also focus on a number of recent controversies in this area, touching on issues of fairness, constitutionality, and bias.

Finally, we'll provide a number of recommendations for the responsible development and use of risk assessments in criminal justice settings.