Needs Assessment: Needs Factor Validation

• In Event: Validation of Risk Assessments

Abstract

Conducting needs assessments for offenders in corrections has become one of the standards of professionalism. There are many needs assessment instruments available nowadays, and both professionals and researchers have focused on the aspects of utility and predictability of the instruments and their contributing needs factors. However, the measurement validity for needs factors has not been subjected to rigorous tests in the existing assessment tools. The construct validity of the needs factors are often taken for granted. The current research is designed to test the measurement validity of the needs factors/ items in a fourth generation risk-needs assessment, namely, STRONG-N needs assessment instrument used by Department of Corrections in Washington State. By using Confirmatory Factor Analysis, Group Invariance Tests (across sex), we found that the selected items demonstrated good measurement validity corresponding to the conceptualized 24 needs factors/domains.

Authors

• Xiaohan Mei, Washington State University

• Zachary Hamilton, Washington State University

• Michael Campagna, Washington State University