risk and needs assessments presented by: edward j. latessa, ph.d. school of criminal justice...
TRANSCRIPT
Risk and Needs Assessments
Presented by:
Edward J. Latessa, Ph.D.
School of Criminal Justice
University of Cincinnati
www.uc.edu/criminaljustice
Assessment is the engine that drives effective correctional programs
• Need to meet the risk and need principle
• Reduces bias
• Aids decision making
• Helps better utilize resources
• Allows you to target dynamic risk factors and measure change
Risk Principle: “Who” to Target with Intensive Programs
• Target those offender with higher probability of recidivism
• Provide most intensive treatment to higher risk offenders
• Intensive treatment for lower risk offender can increase recidivism
Low Risk 1 out of 10 will re-offend
You do not know which person will re-offend.
Do you treat all 10 the same to make sure no one is missed?
$$$$$$$$$Treatment and Supervision Resources
High Risk 5 out of 10 will re-offend
You do not know which person will re-offend.
Do you treat all 10 the same to make sure no one is missed?
$$$$$$$$$Treatment and Supervision Resources
The Risk Principle & Correctional Intervention Results from Meta
Analysis
-4
19
-5
0
5
10
15
20
25
High Risk Low Risk
Ch
an
ge
In R
ec
idiv
ism
Ra
tes
Dowden & Andrews, 1999
The Need Principle: The “What” to Target
• Assess & targeting criminogenic needs for change
• Criminogenic needs are those risk factors that are correlated with criminal conduct and can change
• Non-Criminogenic needs are those needs that offenders have that are not strongly correlated with criminal conduct, but maybe barriers
Need Principle
Criminogenic
• Anti social attitudes• Anti social friends• Substance abuse• Lack of empathy• Impulsive behavior• Lack of self-control
Non-Criminogenic• Housing• Anxiety• Low self esteem• Creative abilities• Medical needs• Physical conditioning
Major Set of Risk/Need Factors1. Antisocial/pro-criminal attitudes, values, beliefs and cognitive emotional
states
2. Pro-criminal associates and isolation from anticriminal others
3. Temperamental and anti social personality patterns conducive to criminal activity including:
Weak socialization Impulsivity Adventurous Restless/aggressive Egocentrism A taste for risk Weak problem-solving/self-regulation & coping skills
4. A history of antisocial behavior
Major Set of Risk/Need Factors Cont.
5. Familial factors that include criminality and a variety of psychological problems in the family of origin including Low levels of affection, caring, and cohesiveness
6. Low levels of personal, educational, vocational, or financial achievement
7. Low levels of involvement in prosocial leisure activities
8. Substance Abuse
To Understand Assessment it is Important to Understand Types of Risk
Factors
Dynamic and Static Factors• Static Factors are those factors that are
related to risk and do not change. Some examples might be number of prior offenses, whether an offender has ever had a drug/alcohol problem.
• Dynamic factors relate to risk and can change. Some examples are whether an offender is currently unemployed or currently has a drug/alcohol problem.
According to the American Heart Association, there are a number of risk factors that increase your chances of a first heart attack
Family history of heart attacks
Gender (males)
Age (over 50)
Inactive lifestyle
Over weight
High blood pressure
Smoking
High Cholesterol level
There are two types of dynamic risk factors• Acute – Can change quickly
• Stable – Take longer to change
Dynamic Risk Factors and Their Importance
• Also called criminogenic needs
• Changing these factors changes the probability of recidivism
• Provide the basis for developing a treatment plan
• Address factors that will reduce risk
• Lead to public safety
Classification & Assessment of Offenders
• Primary measures have been identified
• Best predictors of criminal behavior:
Static factors – past criminal behavior
Dynamic factors – crime producing needs
• Best assessment method is the actuarial (statistical) approach
• Best practices allow for risk management and risk reduction through effective treatment
• Latest generation of instruments allow for measurement of change in offender
Some Examples of Assessment Tools
Wisconsin Risk & Need Assessment
Psychopathy Checklist (Hare Psychopathy)• Glib/superficial charm• Grandiose sense of self• Stimulation seeking• Pathological lying• Conning/manipulation• Lack of remorse/guilt• Shallow affect• Callousness/lack empathy• Parasitic lifestyle• Poor behavioral control• Promiscuous sexual behavior• Early behavioral problems• Lack of realistic goals• Impulsivity• Irresponsibility• Not accepting responsibility• Many marital relationships• Juvenile delinquency• Conditional release revoked• Criminal versatility
One New Non-Proprietary System is the ORAS
• The Ohio Risk Assessment System (ORAS) consists of several instruments:1. Pretrial
2. Community Supervision (plus screener)
3. Prison Intake
4. Reentry
ORAS-CST Intake Assessment
Finalized ReportVH
High
Med
Low
High Barriers to Service
•Low motivation to obtain employment
• Transportation—No valid license
• Mental Health—Needs evaluation
Applying the Risk and Responsivity Principles
• High Contact Frequency• More intensive interventions• More targets for change• Minimize exposure to low risk
Barriers to Services
•Low motivation to change substance abuse behavior
• Transportation—No valid license
• Mental Health—Needs evaluation
Use cost-benefit toolsSet long-term goal(s)Motivational Interviewing strategies
Help problem solve transportation
Make referral/appointment to MH evaluation—making sure plan addresses transportation
Applying the Need Principle
Disrupt criminal peer networks
Increase prosocial contacts
Increase prosocial attitudes
Target Problem SolvingDecrease attitudes supporting aggressiveness
Employment readiness – Target attitudes that support employment
Target attitudes towards driving w/o license
What To Avoid Disrupting/Targeting
Minimize conditions associated with these areas
Monitor for compliance only
Do Not Target with any Treatment Interventions unless circumstances change
Reliability is Very Important
• Are staff consistent in scoring?– Inter-rater reliability
• Training• Experience
Predictive Validity of the LSI-R and Assessor Training
Flores, T., C Lowenkamp, A. Holsinger, and E.Latessa (2006). Predicting Outcome with the Level of Service Inventory-Revised: The Importance of Implementation Integrity. Journal of Criminal Justice, 34 (4).
Trained Not Trained0
0.1
0.2
0.3
r value
Predictive Validity of the LSI-R & Assessor Experience with the
Instrument
Outcome defined as incarceration. R values for 3 years + ranged from .19 to .30, for less than 3 years .08.20. See Flores, Lowenkamp, Holsinger, and Latessa (2004). Predicting Outcome with the LSI-R; The Importance of Quality Assurance.
Less than 3 years 3 years or more0
0.02
0.04
0.06
0.08
0.1
0.12
0.14
0.16
0.18
0.2
0.22
0.24
0.26
r value 0.14 0.25
r value
Some things to consider
• What do I want to use it for?• Length of time needed to complete• Training • Cost• Complexity• When will it be done?• Where will it be done?• Who will do it?• Level of staff commitment• Is assessment reliable?• Is assessment valid?
Build in Policies Around Professional Discretion
• Also known as the override principle
• Consider all the information and determine if placements dictated by assessment are the most appropriate
• Generally should not exceed 10%.
Some things to remember
• There is no “one size fits all” assessment tool– some domains or types of offenders will require specialized assessments
(such as sex offenders)– use or purpose will vary
• Actuarial assessment is more accurate than clinical
assessment, but no process is perfect
• Assessment helps guide decisions, doesn’t make them --professional discretion is part of good assessment
• Reliability is more difficult to achieve with dynamic instruments – requires training of staff and continual monitoring of assessment process