NCJ Number
238986
Journal
Crime and Justice Bulletin Issue: 154 Dated: December 2011 Pages: 1-16
Date Published
December 2011
Length
16 pages
Annotation
This study from the New South Wales Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research examined the effectiveness of the risk/needs assessment process on predicting recidivism rates among offenders.
Abstract
The study found that offenders with a high degree of risk factors for reoffending and who were administered the Level of Service Inventory - Revised (LSI-R) were identified as being more likely to reoffend, with 80 percent of male recidivists and 71 percent of female recidivists being identified as more likely to re-offend. In addition, the findings indicate that for both male and female offenders, the LSI-R subscales of education/employment and attitudes/orientation were associated with a higher rate of reoffending, while the criminal history, alcohol/drugs, and accommodation subscales were associated with increased reoffending rates in males and the companions subscale was associated with increased reoffending rates in females. This study from the New South Wales Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research examined the effectiveness of the risk/needs assessment process on predicting recidivism rates among offenders. Data for the study were obtained through the use of a screening tool to identify those offenders who would benefit from the administration of the LSI-R to determine their risk of offending. The analysis also explored whether LSI-R subscales had a significant impact on predicting the likelihood of reoffending on those offenders at high risk for reoffending. The study results show that the use of a screening tool for determining who is administered the LSI-R along with the inclusion of LSI-R subscale scores can improve the predictive accuracy of risk/needs assessment models for evaluating offenders at high risk for re-offending. Study limitations are discussed. Tables, figure, references, and appendix