NCJ Number
189220
Journal
Forum on Corrections Research Volume: 13 Issue: 1 Dated: January 2001 Pages: 8-10
Date Published
January 2001
Length
3 pages
Annotation
This article examines the use of the Custody Rating Scale (CRS) in Canadian corrections and how its introduction has influenced both the policy and practice of initial penitentiary placement and has contributed to safe reintegration.
Abstract
The CRS is a 12-item instrument that assesses institutional adjustment and public safety risk and yields an initial security classification rating. The CRS was approved for system-wide application by the Correctional Service of Canada in 1991; it was applied to both newly sentenced and return-to-custody admissions. Validation results based on the first 5 years of operation showed that the CRS was effective in assigning security classification ratings that were consistent with actual incidences of institutional offenses, escapes, release type, and community release adjustment. Also, offenders rated minimum security by the CRS recorded significantly lower rates of new offenses and escapes from minimum-security facilities compared with medium-rated offenders who were also initially placed in minimum-security facilities. These findings indicated that the CRS was useful in identifying minimum-security candidates at admission. The author concluded that the CRS improved the selection and initial placement of appropriate offenders to lower security, which contributed both to maximizing reintegration and helping to ensure it was safe. 9 notes