NCJ Number
215844
Journal
Crime & Delinquency Volume: 52 Issue: 1 Dated: January 2006 Pages: 178-200
Date Published
January 2006
Length
23 pages
Annotation
This paper reviews the application and value of risk assessment tools within the criminal justice system focusing on problems with existing risk assessment tools and guidelines in the improvement of these tools.
Abstract
When considering the application of actuarial risk assessment, guidelines were developed in 2002 providing reasonable advice when considering the application of risk assessment. These guidelines include: (1) assessment of risk would be based on actuarial measures of risk; (2) risk assessment should demonstrate predictive validity; (3) assessment instruments should be directly relevant to criminal behavior; (4) instruments should be derived from relevant theory; (5) multiple domains should be sampled; (6) criminogenic need factors should be assessed; (7) general personality and cognitive tests should be limited to the assessment of responsitivity; (8) different methods should be used to assess risk and needs; and (9) professional responsibility should be exercised. Properly developed and implemented, risk assessment devices can improve criminal justice decisionmaking, properly target and potentially save resources, and potentially increase the public safety. This article updates research in the areas of development and implementation of risk assessment tools, as well as a general discussion of risk assessment focusing on methodological issues that affect accuracy. It discusses the types of variables included in the models and concludes with recommendations for policymakers to consider when adopting risk assessments. Notes, references