The Use of Risk Assessment Tools to Inform and Evaluate Correctional Practices and Policies

Session Submission Type: Complete Thematic Panel

Abstract

The use of standardized risk assessment tools for correctional populations has significantly grown in the last decade. Modern risk assessment tools help court practitioners make decisions concerning intervention needs of offenders. These tools also estimate the probability an individual will reoffend. Given risk assessments help practitioners synthesize important information about offenders, there is potential to use risk assessments to inform court practices to address the needs of special populations (e.g. offenders in socio-economically disadvantaged communities, sex offenders, and juveniles with a history of maltreatment). The purpose of this panel is to examine the use of risk assessment tools to inform and evaluate correctional practices and policies. This panel will evaluate the efficacy of measuring neighborhood level characteristics on measures of risk, the use of risk assessment for a juvenile sex offender population, and the use of risk assessment to inform family based interventions for girls with a history of maltreatment.

Sub Unit

• Area VII. Criminal Justice Policy and Practice / 34. Corrections

Division of Special Interest

• Divisions of Special Interest / Division on Corrections & Sentencing

Individual Presentations

• Bridging the Gap between Research and Practice: Examining Whether Pragmatic Measures of Neighborhood Characteristics Improve Offender Risk Assessment Tools - Jordan Papp, University of Cincinnati; Shannon Linning, University of Cincinnati

• An Examination of the Characteristics of Juvenile Sex Offenders Using the JSOAP-II and YLS/CMI - William Miller, University of Cincinnati; Christina A Campbell, University of Cincinnati

• Family Support Services for Justice-Involved Girls: A Mixed Methods Evaluation - Laura Rubino, University of Cincinnati; Valerie R. Anderson, University of Cincinnati

Chairs

• Christina A Campbell, University of Cincinnati

• Valerie R. Anderson, University of Cincinnati

Discussant

• Ashlee Barnes, Virginia Commonwealth University