NCJ Number
226834
Journal
Corrections Compendium Volume: 34 Issue: 1 Dated: Spring 2009 Pages: 11-16,49-51,54
Date Published
2009
Length
10 pages
Annotation
Using a representative sample of correctional staff responsible for the delivery of West Virginia’s Offender Reentry Initiative (case managers, counselors, and parole officers), this study examined how correctional staff used the Level of Supervision Inventory-Revised (LSI-R) in the development of offender reentry case plans.
Abstract
The study found that only 4 out of 10 staff charged with implementing West Virginia’s Offender Reentry Initiative reported that they had used the results of the LSI-R to develop reentry case plans for their caseloads. In attempting to explain this finding, the study determined that a large proportion of correctional staff did not have favorable attitudes toward the use of the LSI-R. The LSI-R is a widely recognized psychometric instrument rooted in the core principles of effective intervention, i.e., risk, need, and responsivity. It is often used to assess offender risk for recidivism as well as need across many correctional settings. The LSI-R has proven to be instrumental in classifying offenders and assisting correctional staff in monitoring and supervising offenders. It is also useful for identifying offender needs and assisting correctional staff in identifying appropriate programming and treatment services. Given the proven usefulness of the LSI-R in assessing offender risk and needs, it is important to determine how support for the LSI-R can be improved among West Virginia correctional staff responsible for reentry caseload planning. Data for this study were obtained by a mail survey administered to the appropriate correctional staff in February 2006, approximately 18 months after the official implementation of the Offender Reentry Initiative. 5 tables, 1 figure, and 24 references