NCJ Number
217562
Journal
Criminal Justice and Behavior Volume: 34 Issue: 3 Dated: March 2007 Pages: 362-379
Date Published
March 2007
Length
18 pages
Annotation
Two samples of Canadian Federal female offender case files (n=285 and n=580) were used to develop and test a gender-informed security reclassification scale, called the Security Reclassification Scale for Women (SRSW).
Abstract
This study found that the SRSW security-level ratings were predictive of both minor and major misconduct, as well as time to failure for both minor and major misconduct. Although the structured clinical method (offender security level reviews) was also predictive of minor and major misconduct and time to failure for each, the SRSW equaled or outperformed this method in all instances. The findings suggest that the use of the SRSW would produce an overall decrease in the women's security-level distribution without leading to weaker predictive accuracy. Because the scale items are concretely measured and transparent, offenders can work to reduce their security classification. The first study used 285 consecutive offender security level (OSL) reviews for federally sentenced women in order to construct the SRSW. Data were collected for 176 variables that were theoretically, empirically, or operationally relevant to staff decisions about women's security classification. These variables included some historical risk factors in addition to dynamic behavioral variables such as program progress and motivation, current drug and alcohol use, recent institutional behavior, social support, and marital adjustment. Factors that might be relevant to women offenders (e.g., parenting and child custody issues, family factors, self-injury, and psychological/psychiatric problems) were also included for analysis. The second study used all Federal female OSL reviews that occurred between July 2000 and June 2003 (n=580) to test the validity and reliability of the SRSW. 7 tables, 2 figures, 5 notes, and 51 references