Empirical Status of the Level of Service Inventory

• NCJ Number: 225878
• Journal: Federal Probation Volume: 72 Issue: 3 Dated: December 2008 Pages: 22-29
• Author(s): Brenda Vose; Francis T. Cullen; Paula Smith
• Date Published: December 2008
• Length: 8 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study summarizes research and provides a systematic overview of the empirical status of the Level of Service Inventory (LSI) assessment instrument.

Abstract

The LSI has received empirical support through three decades of research. Findings revealed that the majority of studies on the LSI concluded that the instrument was a valid predictor of recidivism. Moreover, the instrument has proven to be a valid predictor of recidivism with adults, juveniles, males, and females. The LSI has been validated across a variety of correctional placement settings and with domestic and international offenders. The notion that the LSI is appropriate for general use for a variety of offender populations as opposed to only appropriate use with a select offender population will likely add to the already broad appeal of the LSI with correctional agencies in the United States and internationally. Data were collected from 47 studies on the predictive validity of the LSI (all versions of the instrument) conducted between 1982 and 2008; the studies examined offenders in a variety of correctional placement settings in the United States, Canada, and Europe and included samples of adults, juveniles, males, and females. Tables and references