Advancing Fairness and Transparency: National Guidelines for Post-Conviction Risk and Needs Assessment - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for Administrators

• NCJ Number: 305119
• Date Published: August 2022
• Length: 2 pages
• Grant Number(s): 2019-ZB-BX-K002
• Agencies: BJA-Sponsored

Annotation

After posing various questions that corrections administrators may have about the shortcomings of the administration and implementation of the findings of risk and need instruments with offenders, this report indicates how the new national guidelines for the administration and application of risk and need instruments will address these various issues.

Abstract

Acknowledging the concerns administrators may have about the accuracy, fairness, and effectiveness of risk and needs instruments in the supervision of offenders, the new national guidelines for risk and needs assessment focus on reducing bias, increasing the accurate analysis of offender risk and needs, and tailoring offender supervision and programming to offender risk and needs.  Administrators are also guided in how to support the implementation of the new national guidelines for risk and needs assessment by assessing the degree to which an agency is currently following the guidelines and then identifying the resources needed to align agency practices with the guidelines. Online access is provided to additional guidelines and suggestions for administering them. Additional guidelines are offered to address the improved administration of risk-and-need instrument administration and implementation.