This document provides a compendium of statements and recommendations for the Bureau of Prisons’ risk assessment tool, the Prisoner Assessment Tool Targeting Estimated Risk and Needs (PATTERN).
This document brings together statements, comments, and recommendations from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU); the Justice Action Network; RTI International; the Sentencing Project; the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers; the Brennan Center for Justice; the Council of State Governments Justice Center; the Federal Public and Community Defenders; and professor of law and criminal justice, Melissa Hamilton. The statements were offered in response to two stakeholder engagement sessions that were hosted collaboratively by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) and the Office for Access to Justice (ATJ). The sessions were convened as part of the Department of Justice’s (DOJ’s) efforts to continue implementation of the First Step Act (FSA), by making ongoing improvements to the Prisoner Assessment Tool Targeting Estimated Risk and Needs (PATTERN), and ensuring transparency in the research conducted in support of FSA implementation.