NCJ Number
199212
Journal
Forum on Corrections Research Volume: 14 Issue: 3 Dated: September 2002 Pages: 10-12
Date Published
September 2002
Length
3 pages
Annotation
This Canadian study examined the application of the Custody Rating Scale (CRS) for the initial security placement of female inmates in Federal correctional institutions, with attention to whether or not there was bias in the classification of Aboriginal women compared with non-Aboriginal women.
Abstract
The CRS is an objective classification instrument that incorporates some of the legislated criteria for security classification as specified in Section 17 of the Corrections and Conditional Release Regulations. The CRS consists of two subscales: the Institutional Adjustment (IA) subscale and the Security Risk (SR) subscale. The IA subscale measures five factors that have been associated with institutional misconduct. The SR subscale is composed of seven factors related to future reoffending. The sample for the current study consisted of 334 federally sentenced women offenders who were admitted to Canadian Federal custody between January 1997 and January 1999. Fifty-three percent were Caucasian; 21 percent, Aboriginal; 15 percent, Black; and 10 percent, other ethnic groups. Aboriginal women offenders (n=68) were compared with non-Aboriginal women offenders (n=266). As a group, Aboriginal women offenders were more likely than non-Aboriginal women offenders to be placed at higher levels of custody; however, this overrepresentation of Aboriginal women offenders at higher levels of initial security was primarily attributable to between-group differences on a number of important custody considerations. Upon intake Aboriginal women offenders were more likely to have amassed more institutional incidents, displayed greater previous instability, abused drugs and alcohol more often, recorded more prior convictions, be under sentence for more serious offenses, and be younger at admission. 4 figures and 2 notes