NCJ Number
165069
Date Published
1995
Length
42 pages
Annotation
Systems currently being used for risk assessment and classification of juvenile offenders are described, with emphasis on the problems they are intended to address, the principles on which they are based, and the procedures used at various points in system processing.
Abstract
Well-designed assessment procedures improve the ability to accurately and consistently identify youths who are or may become serious, violent, and chronic juvenile offenders. Carefully crafted classification systems ensure that the system's response is equitable and graduated. They also directly link the offender's need for control and services with the most appropriate intervention. Particularly promising approaches include communitywide risk assessment and prevention strategies such as those developed by Hawkins and Catalano, empirically based risk assessment tools developed for child welfare and juvenile probation/parole that are able to identify youth and families with dramatically different levels of risk, and well-structured placement and custody decisionmaking instruments that reduce inappropriate placements and link risks with program options. Sample forms, notes, and 55 references