NCJ Number
102165
Date Published
1985
Length
16 pages
Annotation
This study examines whether the use of environmental variables in addition to offender characteristics increases the accuracy of risk assessment.
Abstract
A preliminary investigation of the impacts of community environments on released offenders indicated that the inclusion of environmental characteristics increased the predictive power of risk assessment models. A more complete study developed measures of socioeconomic and demographic factors based on the 1980 census and measures of social networks, neighborhood cohesion, and incivilities based on an extensive survey of community residents in 66 of the 90 neighborhoods studied. The survey of neighborhood residents included questions about local social dynamics, aspects of residents' attachment to the locale, place dependence, territorial attitudes, knowledge of the neighborhood, and other aspects of neighborhood life. Census data were reduced to dimensions reflective of neighborhood socioeconomic status, stability, and racial and juvenile composition. For the offender samples in the neighborhoods, outcomes were measured by arrest, the portion of the followup period without arrest, and the number of arrests in the followup period. Both 6-month and 12-month followup periods were investigated. Virtually no environmental effects were observed on offender outcome, so the preliminary study results were not substantiated. Offender concentrations in communities, however, did substantially impact neighborhood environments. Research suggestions and 5 references.