Reassessing Risk: A Meta-Analysis of Juvenile Justice Assessments and Recidivism Outcomes

• In Event: School Safety, Juvenile Justice, and Research Methodologies: Navigating Policy and Practice

Abstract

The use of juvenile risk and need assessment instruments to help inform court decisions and treatment planning is becoming standard practice in most justice systems across the United States. These tools help gauge a youth's risk of reoffending and identify factors that, if addressed, can reduce the risk of recidivism. This presentation summarizes preliminary findings from a comprehensive and large-scale meta-analysis on the strength of the relationship between risk to reoffend scores and recidivism outcomes, with multiple moderators considered (e.g., types of instruments, demographic characteristics). The findings can provide valuable insights into how effective these instruments are in predicting recidivism outcomes, help facilitate the use of more equitable practices in the juvenile justice system, and highlight important gaps in research that could help advance the accuracy and implementation of these assessments.

Authors

• Jennifer H. Peck, University of Central Florida

• James Ray, University of Central Florida

• Kristina K. Childs, University of Central Florida