Risk Assessment and Overrides: Exploring the Use of Overrides in Community Supervision

• In Event: Risk Assessments and Decision Making in Community Corrections

Abstract

Actuarial risk assessments are a vital part of evidence-based correctional practice. Although the assessments are valid, objective, and standardized tools in the measurement of attributes related to criminal behavior and recidivism, criminal justice professionals are given the discretion to override the results of these assessments. The ability for professionals to override risk assessment results presents researchers with two broad questions: 1) what factors influence the discretion used by criminal justice professionals? and 2) is there equity in the use of overrides across the population of community supervision clients?

Using data from the Georgia Department of Community Supervision, this study explores these questions and how justice professionals use the override function with clients throughout the state. We consider how the override function is influenced by individual- and departmental-level variables.

Authors

• Bria Cross, Georgia Department of Community Supervision

• James McCafferty, Kennesaw State University

• Nicholas Powell, Georgia Department of Community Supervision