Risk Assessment and Responsivity

Risk Assessment and Responsivity when working with Diverse Corrections Populations

The Crime and Justice Institute at CRJ received a grant from the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) to undertake a project study entitled Developing a Risk/Need Assessment Tool for Specialized Corrections Populations. Research has shown that effective correctional programs use classification systems that incorporate three principles: risk, need, and responsivity. Current offender classification is primarily focused on risk and need but does less to address the responsivity principle, which requires interventions to be delivered in ways that match the personal characteristics of individual offenders, including cultural variables. The function of offender responsivity is not yet fully understood, but some researchers believe there is a need to develop assessment instruments that are culturally responsive to certain offender populations.

Research Questions:
CJI plans to test the following research questions:

• Do current assessments tools and practices effectively identify the risks and needs of Hispanic and American Indian offenders?
• If the answer is no, does it result in misclassification?
• If these populations are more likely to be misclassified, does that lead to poorer outcomes?

Research Plan
The research plan employs a mixed methods research design, which will offer a broad spectrum of data on which to base project findings and answer the identified research questions. The quantitative component will conduct analysis on agency data. The qualitative research track will concentrate on focus groups with offenders and agency staff.

Talking Circles
In addition to the research plan outlined above, which involves state and local based corrections agencies, CJI believes it is important to visit tribal communities and hear from members of Indian communities about tribal justice systems, criminal justice needs of individual communities, strength-based strategies that may have a possibility of application or replication in other communities, and how culture plays a role in the system. CJI has conducted approximately five focus groups/talking circles with different tribal communities across the Country.