A Systematic Review of Criminogenic Needs During the Pretrial Period

• In Event: Understanding the Use of Risk Assessments and Effectiveness of Treating Criminogenic Needs During the Pretrial Period

Abstract

Background. Pretrial risk assessments are becoming increasingly popular in the United States. Despite the importance of assessing and intervening around “needs” in the Risk-Need-Responsivity model, few pretrial risk assessments include comprehensive assessment of needs. We aim to provide a systematic review of the prevalence of and predictive utility of criminogenic needs within the pretrial population. Methods. We conducted searches for articles in the EBSCO, ProQuest, and Google Scholar databases using keywords related to 11 criminogenic needs domains: antisocial personality, pro-criminal attitudes, pro-criminal associates, substance use, family/marital relationships, school/work, prosocial recreational activities, self-esteem, housing, mental health, and physical health. Findings. Findings will speak to the prevalence of specific needs within pretrial populations and evidence on their predictive associations with key pretrial outcomes. Our preliminary observations show that within the pretrial period, studies on substance use, mental health, and physical health are abundant, but research on the prevalence of antisocial personality, pro-criminal attitudes, pro-criminal associates, self-esteem, and prosocial recreational activities within the pretrial period are extremely limited. Conclusions. Researchers should more directly assess the prevalence and predictive utility of certain criminogenic needs within the pretrial period to bolster the evidence-base for including these factors in pretrial risk assessments.

Authors

• Sydney Ingel, George Mason University

• Evan Lowder, George Mason University

• Spencer Lawson, UMASS Medical School

• Peyton Frye, George Mason University

• Autumn Kent, George Mason University