CJ320 Offender Classification and Assessment

8/3/2019 CJ320 Offender Classification and Assessment

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Two related but distinct processes in the operationof the prison and community corrections systems

Offender Classification andAssessment


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y C lassification and assessment are typically performed bycorrectional counselors who have three goals in mind1. The publics need for protection and community safety

2. The identification and matching of offender needs fortreatment and management with correctional resources3. The improvement of correctional operation and performance

while reducing costs and recidivism


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Classificationy In the prison systems refers to the procedure of placing

prisoners in one of several custody levelsy Maximumy C

lose,y Mediumy Minimum

y To match offender needs with correctional resourcesy

Type of facility to which they will be assignedy Level of supervision they will receive once there


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Subj ective and O bjectiveClassificationsy Subjective classification

y Relied mainly on the experience and judgment of administrators in early period of nations corrections

y Today, overridesallows correctional staff to change the scoredclassification level according to the policies of the agency

y O verrides accounts for 5 to 15% of all classified inmate case


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y O bjective classificationy Reliable and valid criteria that have been examined through

empirical research are used to establish custody levely Well trained and specialized professional personnel perform

classification dutiesy Recommend custody level be increased, decreased, or maintainedy Transfers

y Each classification decision and the considerations used to make

each decision are documented and stored for analysis andexamination


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Ex ternal and Internal Classificationsand Reclassificationy A ll prisoners experience initial (external), internal, and

reclassification processes.y Initial classification is also calledexternal prison classification

y P laces an offender entering the prison system at a facility classified at thecustody level where the prisoner will remain

y Level 1,2,3 or highery Max, med, minimum

y Internal classification a process that determines the unit and cell

assignments and programs to match the prisoners risk andneeds with the security and treatment characteristics of the unitand programs


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y Reclassificationy A review process within a prison system that updates and

possibly revises the current classification.y Emphasis on prisoners conduct during incarceration

y Degree of program participationy Gang membershipy History of violencey Recent disciplinary actions


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y C lassification in community corrections consists of identifying and selecting supervision strategiesy Levels of supervision

y C

lassification made on the basis of assessing the risks andneeds of the offender


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Assessmenty A corrections process that is closely related to but distinct from

correctional classificationy Instruments for correctional assessment typically cover two areas

y Risky Needs of the offender

y The riskrefers to the danger to self, others, and the community that is presented bythe offender.y C riminal history,y current convictions,y and violationsy Dangerousness of the offense

o Violent crimes and sex offenses are considered more dangerous thannonviolent/nonsex offenses

y Needso Education, employment, financial, relationships, housing, substances mental

health, etc


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Th e Level of Service Inventory-Revised(LS I-R)A theoretically based offender risk-needs assessment that has the

most all-embracing research literature among offender assessmentinstruments (A ndrews & Bonta, 2003)

Most frequently used instrument for classification and assessmentA ctuarial (predictive) tool that was created and developed in

C anadian forensic settingHas 54 items

Not developed forSexual offenders or mentally disorderedoffenders

# of checked items on LSI -R provides a total scoreHigher the score the greater the risk of criminal behavior


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S tatic and Dynamic Risk Factorsy The 10 subscales on the LSI -R include some major static and dynamic

risk factors in relation to criminal behavior and recidivismy Static risk factors

y Designate variables or conditions that existed in an offenders past or are notresponsive to correctional interventions.

y P erpetrators agey Number of past offense committed,y Intellectual disabilities,y Favored choice of victim,y A ge at first conviction,y Gender,y Racey

Social classy C hild hood trauma

y Static factors cannot be changed by correctional efforts but the can changenaturally, such as age


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y Dynamic risk factorsy C onditions and attributes related to the offender that can be changed by

programs, treatment, counseling, and other interventionsy Marital distressy

Skill deficits,y Substance abuse,y C ompanions/peer associationy mental conflicts,y Low educational attainmenty A ntisocial supports

y Because these factors are associated with recidivism andcriminal behavior, they are referred to ascriminogenic needs


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y Three Generations of RiskA ssessmenty The first-generation risk assessmentsy The second-generation risk assessmentsy

The third-generation risk assessments


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LS I-Rs S trengt h s and Limitationsy C ounselors can use the clients scores on education/employment

or other subcategories to decide how to connect available servicesand resources to meet the clients needs

y Scores are a basis for community supervision for the offenders,determining level of supervision

y Studies have shown that this inventory has the power to predictrecidivism and to differentiate among different types of criminalsy Recidivism from those who do not commit new crimesy Differentiate between violent and nonviolent offenders

y Does not take into consideration the cultural, forensic andsociopolitical context in different countries


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False Positive, False Negative, andDeceptiony False positive refers to cases when offenders have a low risk of

reoffending, but their scores on LSI -R put them in the high-riskcategory

y False negative designates the opposite:y O ffenders have a low score on the measurement when they are

actually a high-risk offendery Deception

y While some responses can be verified, other items may not be andoffender may not tell the truth

y Deliberate deception is always an issue in psychological assessmenty

Faking goody Endorsement of highly desirable characteristics and denial of normal

human frailtiesy Faking bad

y Endorsement of psychiatric symptoms


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Oth er Tools for Classification andAssessmenty The SubstanceA buseSubtle ScreeningInventory (SASSI )y The Beck DepressionInventoryy The Minnesota MultiphasicP ersonalityInventory -2 (MMPI -

2)y TheA ddictionsSeverityIndex (ASI ) andy The MichiganA lcoholismScreening Test (MAS T)


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y HaresP sychopathyC hecklist Revised (PC L-R)y Interpersonal or affective defects

y glibness or superficial charmy Grandiose feelings of self-worth,y C onning or manipulative behaviory Lack of remorse or guilt,y Shallow affects,y C allousness or lack of empathy

y Social deviancey Irresponsibilityy P arasitic lifestyley I

mpulsivityy A dditional itemsy Unstable relationships,y C riminal versatility


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y Each of the twenty items is given a score of 0, 1, or 2 based onhow well it applies to the subject being tested

y A prototypical psychopath would receive a maximum score of 40,while someone with absolutely no psychopathic traits or

tendencies would receive a score of zeroy A score of 30 or above qualifies a person for adiagnosis of

psychopathyy P eople with no criminal backgrounds normally score around 5y Many non-psychopathic criminal offenders score around 22


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y LifestyleC riminalityScreening Formy C lients irresponsibility

y O bligations at school, work and homey Self-indulgence

y A lcohol and drug abuse, sexual promiscuity, repeated gambling, thewearing of tattoos and regularly encroaching on the rights and personaldignity of others

y Interpersonal intrusivenessy S

ocial-rule breaking


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Assessment Instr u ments for J u venileOffendersy C onsistency lacking in selecting and implementing assessment

instruments for juvenile offendersy The Youth Level of Service/C ase ManagementInventory

(YLS/ C MI) developed by Hoge andA ndrews (1999) appears to bemost promisingy O ffense history (prior and current offense/dispositions)y Family circumstances/parentingy Education/employmenty P er relationsy Substance abusey Leisure and recreationy P ersonality and behaviory A ttitudes/orientation


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DSM -IV-TRy Indispensable for assessing offenders psychological conditions and mental disorders in

correctional settingsy A xis I: clinical disorders, including major mental disorders, as well as

developmental and learning disordersy C ommon Axis I disorders include depression, anxiety disorders, bipolar

disorder,A DHD,A utism, phobias, and schizophrenia.

y A xis II : underlying pervasive or personality conditions, as well as mentalretardation

y C ommon Axis II disorders include personality disorders: paranoidpersonality disorder, schizoid personality disorder, antisocial personalitydisorder, narcissistic personality disorder, histrionic personality disorder,avoidant personality disorder, dependent personality disorder, obsessive-

compulsive personality disorder, and mental retardationy A xis III : evaluates general medical condition, diseases of the blood, nervous,

circulatory respiratory and digestive system.y C ommon Axis III disorders include brain injuries and other

medical/physical disorders which may aggravate existing diseases or presentsymptoms similar to other disorders


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y A xis IV: Evaluates a clients problems with primary support group(family), social environment (lack or absence of social support,discrimination, adjustment to life-cycle such as retirement, education,occupation, housing, economic problems, problems with access to healthcare services), and interaction with the legal system

y A xis V: A ssess the general functioning of a client on a scale from 0 to 100,with a high score indicating better functioning and a low score poorfunctioning

y Limits of the DSM Systemy It describes mental disorders, emphasizing observed or reported clinical

features and symptoms, but does not give any attention to their underlyingcausal mechanisms

y

Disorders are organized into major categories on the basis of shared symptomsy P osttraumatic stress disorder and adjustment disorders should be put together

under a category of stress disorders or trauma disorders because stressful eventsmay play a causal role in the condition


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y 2nd limit is that most of the DSM diagnoses are based onsatisfying a certain number of equally important criteria

y C lients with the same diagnosis are likely to be different evenin their symptoms

y 3rd limit is that research shows nearly all of theA xis I DSMdisorders have high concurrent and/or lifetime rates of comorbidty

y The simultaneous occurrence of more than one disorder inthe same individual

y 29% of clients with a current mental health problem also have a historyof a substance-use disorder

y C lients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia have a 47% lifetime history of substance abuse or dependence

CJ320 Offender Classification and Assessment

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