Importance of Appropriate Allocation to Offending Behavior Programs

• NCJ Number: 222214
• Journal: International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology Volume: 52 Issue: 2 Dated: April 2008 Pages: 206-221
• Author(s): Emma J. Palmer; James McGuire; Ruth M. Hatcher; Juliet C. Hounsome; Charlotte A.L. Bilby; Clive R. Hollin
• Date Published: 2008
• Length: 16 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: Great Britain Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

The study examined the impact on reconviction of appropriate allocation to three general offending behavior programs involving adult male offenders in the English and Welsh Probation Service.

Abstract

Results reveal a high level of inappropriate allocation to offending behavior programs with respect to go Offender Group Reconviction Scale-2 (OGRS2) scores that were outside the recommended risk band. Almost half of the offenders allocated to programs had OGRS2 scores that were outside the recommended risk band. Of these offenders, the majority had OGRS2 scores that indicated that their risk levels were too high for allocation to a program. The fact that almost half of the offenders allocated to programs fell outside the specified risk band suggests that there are problems in the allocation system within some probation areas. Allocation to offending behavior programs is carried out at the point of sentence, when it can be specified as a requirement of a probation order. An offender’s sentenced will be informed by the report from the Probation Service and presented to the court. The report includes the offender’s OSGR2 score and recommendations for disposal, such as attending a program as part of a community service. Courts rely on the recommendation rather than specific information relating to targeting criteria, such as the OGRS2 score. This issue affects the reconviction rates of offenders referred to programs, with corresponding implications for the associated evaluation studies. It is important to understand the complexities of factors affecting outcomes to ensure that the results of the evaluation are fully understood and used correctly to inform future policy and practice. The guidelines for referring offenders to programs were not being followed at the time of data collection and tighter monitoring procedures are required to ensure these guidelines are followed. The inappropriate allocation of offenders to programs is a problem for outcome research because it violates the programs' integrity, in turn compounding and potentially providing misleading information on the performance of the Probation Service. Tables, note, references