Risk assessments are tools that are regularly utilized to assess the risk of violence and recidivism. Risk tools can be helpful with identifying risk factors related to reentry planning and treatment planning. Risk assessments often look at criminogenic risk factors, which are areas in a person’s life that are directly tied or associated with risk of recidivism. However, it is important to remember risk factors are not predictors of future behavior. There is often a public perception that people with mental disorders are violent, but research does not support this common belief. People diagnosed with mental disorders are much more likely to be victims of violence and crime than to commit violence.

8.4.1 Psychopathy Checklist Revised (PCL-R)

Dr. Robert Hare created the Hare Psychopathy Checklist Revised (PCL-R)  [Website], which is a screening tool utilized for diagnostic considerations. Click the link if you would like to learn more about this tool beyond the brief summary here. Generally, the PCL-R is used for forensic populations (i.e., incarcerated people, patients in forensic hospitals, or people involved in the criminal justice system). Clinical professionals with an advanced degree can complete specialized training to administer the PCL-R (Without Consciousness, Robert Hare, n.d.). This checklist is generally used to aid in identifying traits of psychopathy. Psychopathy is not a recognized diagnosis in the DSM-V-TR; however, this checklist is utilized in the criminal justice system to manage people presenting with these traits.

8.4.2 Post Conviction Risk Assessment (PCRA)

The United States Courts probation office uses the Post Conviction Risk Assessment (PCRA), a risk assessment tool to measure risk of recidivism (U.S. Courts, 2018). This risk assessment makes it possible for officers to focus their efforts on the people who are at the greatest risk of recidivating on supervision and committing new crimes. The PCRA is completed when someone initially begins their term of supervised release and is updated frequently to accurately measure risk factors that may be present. The PCRA looks at substance use, history of treatment non-compliance, friend and family involvement in criminal activity, and history of violence. All these factors are considered to determine how much risk is present and the likelihood for someone being revoked while on supervised release.

The United States probation and pretrial services system embraces evidence-based practices (EBP), which employ the best available scientific data to influence supervision decisions. A key element of the evidence-­based approach is the use of the PCRA to achieve maximum, measurable reductions in recidivism. Using the PCRA, officers can make informed decisions about:

• Which persons to target for correctional interventions.
• What characteristics or needs to address.
• How to deliver supervision and treatment in a way that produces the best outcomes

Figure 8.5 is a short (9 minute) clip that describes the purpose and benefits of the Post Conviction Risk Assessment (PCRA). Please watch this required video and consider why it is important to assess risk when carrying a caseload of several people who have recently been released from prison.

8.4.3 Level of Service/Case Management Inventory (LS/CMI)

The Level of Service/Case Management Inventory (Abt, 2019)  is a risk assessment tool that is utilized by community supervision entities in the state of Oregon. The LS/CMI looks to identify risk factors that may contribute to someone recidivating.. For instance, someone who is at high or very high risk, will be more likely to receive a treatment referral and may have increased contact with their probation officer. Generally, when someone is released from prison and just begins their term of supervised release, they will often have more risk factors. As a person under supervision connects to employment, stabilizes in treatment services, and connects to positive social supports, their risk for recidivism should decrease. Unfortunately this is not always true. However, the hope with community supervision is that there is more intense supervision for those who are identified as high risk of reoffense and as the dynamic risk factors are resolved, the person moves to less intensive supervision (Abt, 2019).

Figure 8.6. The domains that the LS/CMI screens for to determine a person under supervision’s risk to recidivism.

8.4.4 Women’s Risk & Needs Assessment (WRNA)

In 2008, the Women’s Risk and Needs Assessment (WRNA) was created through an agreement between the National Institute of Corrections and the University of Cincinnati through research conducted by Patricia Van Voorhis, Emily Salisbury, Emily Wright, and Ashley Bauman. The WRNA is a risk assessment tool that was developed specifically for women involved in the criminal justice system. Many risk assessments are validated for men, meaning the sample size used to study groups of people to create these risk assessments were based on men. Administrators of risk assessments often find that women’s risk of reoffense scored higher simply because the risk assessment tool was validated for men and tended to overpathologize women. The WRNA was created to address women’s specific needs when they are incarcerated or recently released from a custodial sentence (University of Utah, n.d.).

8.4.5 Sexual Recidivism Risk Assessments

There are multiple sexual recidivism risk assessments that are utilized to assess likelihood of sexual reoffending. These risk assessments are completed during incarceration, upon release from custody, and re-assessed during treatment. The goal in completing these risk assessments is to reduce, contain, or eliminate the risk of someone sexually reoffending (Baldwin, n.d.). These risk assessments can also help guide probation interventions and frequency of engagement in treatment services. The best supported instrument to assess sexual reoffense in probation settings is the Static–99 (Hanson & Thornton, 2000). The other two instruments used to assess the likelihood of violence during sexual recidivism include the Violence Risk Appraisal Guide (VRAG) (Webster et. al., 1994) and the Sex Offender Risk Appraisal Guide (SORAG) (Quinsey et. al., 2006).

8.4.6 Risk Assessments Licenses and Attributions

“Risk Assessments” by Kendra Harding is licensed under CC BY 4.0.

Modification from Public Domain: Information on the PCRA was copied verbatim from the U.S. Courts.

Figure 8.4 Risk Assessment Tool Helps Probation Officers Video

Figure 8.5 Microsoft Word – OR LSCMI Final Report_062819 (oregon.gov)

Figure 8.6 Definitions from Oregon LS/CMI Assessment Final Report by Sharmini Radakrishnan, Walter Campbell, Molly Brune, Kevin Neary, Abt Associates is included under fair use.