Canadian corrections: assessment, treatment and management Flashcards
6 reasons on why to assess risk
- Identify those likely to commit new crimes, including those who may be “dangerous”
- sentencing
- treatment planning
- assessment of changes in risk
- release decisions
- preventative detention (prevent further illegal actions)
Is risk dynamic or static
it is dynamic
- age (early 20’s is more likely)
- treatment change
- change of environment and community support
What is recidivism
reoffending
- committing a new criminal offense following previous detention or release
What are the four subtypes of recidivism
- violent
- nonviolent
- sexual
- general (misc.)
What is the purpose of risk assessment
to PREVENT new crimes from occurring, inform risk management
What are the 6 steps of risk assessment
- use of multiple info sources
- assess multiple domains of functioning
- use of multiple assessment methods
- evaluate the credibility of info sources
- assess static and dynamic risk factors
- assessment of strengths and protective factors
What are static variables
variables that tend no to change and are frequently historical in nature (e.g are at release, prior offenses, male victim etc.)
What are dynamic variables
variables that have the potential to change from treatment, experience or other change agents
challenges in risk assessment (RA)
Low base rates - rate events are hard to predict - some forms of recidivism are quite rare (sexual murder) compared to more frequent (property crime)
Implications : must be aware of base rates in making risk appraisals - not to low, not too high
What is the first generation of RA
collect info: conduct interviews, review files, etc.
make general assessments or global predictions
GFI
What are the strengths of 1Gen RA
- can explore many different aspects of client’s situation
- can reflect upon circumstances
What are the weaknesses of 1Gen RA
- subject to too much personal bias
- can lead to over prediction (false +)
- subjective. intuitive, gut feelings
- decision rules not observable
- overlook or overemphasize info
What is second gen RA
objective, empirically based static RA instruments
- also known as static actuarial or empirical actuarial tools
What is the definition of actuarial
items (predictors) are statistically associated with increased recidivism
- individual items mat be weighted differently
What are the strengths of 2Gen RA
objective and accountable
cover important static risk factors
clearly articulated decision rules
What are the weaknesses of 2Gen RA
-consist of static predictors only
- not capable of measuring change
- item weights may not generalize
- atheoretical - can get weird combinations of predictors sometimes
What is SIR Scale
Statistical information on recidivism scale: 15 variables
What’s an example of a static actuarial tool
-weighted score on 15 static items ( score range from -27 to + 30)
- grouped into 5 categories/risk group
- every male non-aboriginal offender in CSC has the SIR scale rated on them at intake
11 Sample SIR Items
- marital status
- interval at risk since last offense
- previous imprisonment
- previous parole breech
- current total aggregate sentence
- escape history
- security classification
- previous conviction for break and enter
- age at first adult conviction
- employment status at arrest
- previous convictions for assault
Third generation RA
- RA tools include both static and dynamic risk items informed by theory and research
- involves an integration of assessment and treatment
What are the strengths of 3Gen RA
- assess a much wider range of variables
- consist of both static and dynamic variables
- sensitive to change as a result of “maturation” or effective programming
- theoretically based rather than empirically driven
What are the weaknesses of 3Gen RA
- May not be able to capture change
- may not be specific
- follow through to case closure may not be explicit
What is LSI-R
level of service inventory-revised
- many variants of the LSI family of measures
- 54 items scored present or absent
- five risk levels
(Very low, low, moderate, moderate-high, high)
Fourth Generation of RA
designed to be integrated into:
- the process of risk management
- the selection of intervention modes and targets for treatment
- the assessment of rehabilitation progress
Guides and follows service and supervision from intake through case closure
What are the strengths of 4Gen RA
- Assessed variables are explicitly linked to criminal recidivism
- includes static and dynamic variables
- sensitive to change as a result of “maturation” or effective programming
- follows client to case closure
What are the weaknesses of 4Gen RA
None unique to fourth gen tools; but some general shortcomings indicative of all measures
Meta-analysis of 80 correctional treatment studies (154 treatment comparisons) of juvenile and adult offenders
Services subdivided into 4 types:
- criminal sanctions - just plain prison, probation, etc
- Inappropriate services - contraindicated for offenders (e.g scared straight)
- Appropriate services - CBT/behavioural based
- unspecified services - As is
What are the three basic principles for effective treatment for correctional populations
- Risk
- Need
- Responsivity
TRUE OR FALSE: level of intensity of treatment should match the level of risk presented by the client
TRUE: High risk clients receive high intensity treatment, low risk clients receive few or minimal services
What is the need principle
- effective correctional treatment directly target criminogenic
- criminogenic needs: “crime-causing”
- also known as dynamic risk factors
- improvement in criminogenic needs = reductive in risk for re-offending
Specific responsivity factors include:
- cognitive/intellectual deficits
- mental health/illness
- motivation
- demographic variables
- cultural factors
- psychopathy (factor 1)
Reframing resistance: what are the stages of change
- precontemplation
- contemplation
- preparation
- action
- maintenance
- lapse/relapse
possible ways to address responsivity
- be sensitive to educational attainment of offenders
- sensitive to cultural differences (eg. combine traditional and westernized treatment approaches)
- assess motivation and treatment readiness
- stage matched interventions (eg. behavioural interventions for preparation stage)
- motivational interviewing
Core correctional practice interaction skills (5)
- relationship practices
- dealing with resistance
- effective reinforcement
- effective disapproval
- effective use of authority
intervention skills (4)
- anti-criminal modeling
- skill-building
- problem-solving
- cognitive restructuring
