A: Admission to the Facility
Policy Statement 8: Development of Intake Procedure
Recommendation D: Employ a risk-assessment instrument for classification and integrate other available public safety information.
Jurisdictions should employ a risk-assessment instrument that measures each person's propensity to re-offend, as well as the needs and factors that may influence this propensity. This information will determine the individual's initial security classification. It will also inform the person's assignment to correctional programming that seeks to address his or her criminogenic factors, life skills, and attitudes. (See Policy Statement 9, Development of Programming Plan, for more on how assessed information guides the development of an individualized plan for correctional programming.) Ultimately, a risk-assessment instrument may also be used in making a release decision. (See Policy Statement 17, Advising the Releasing Authority, and Policy Statement 18, Release Decision, for more on risk assessment and the release and transition planning process.)
A risk-assessment instrument should encompass criteria which fall into two categories: static factors and dynamic factors. Static factors are those considerations that will always be part of the person's criminal and social history. These include, but are not limited to:
The seriousness of the offense committed by the individual;
Any outstanding charges against him or her;
His or her behavioral history;
His or her social, criminal and, where applicable, young-offender history;
Any relevant information about obligations to his or her victims or victim needs, including documented concerns about threats, requested or existing protective orders, and orders for restitution.
Dynamic factors are those considerations that can be alleviated or altered. These include, but are not limited to:
The individual's potential for violent behavior;
His or her continued involvement in criminal activities and with criminal associates;
His or her attitude, including towards harm done to victim or victims (if applicable);
The value that the person places on living in law-abiding ways and on having positive social interactions;
His or her strengths and assets.
Corrections intake staff should also supplement results of the risk-assessment instrument with available public safety information immediately upon the individual's transfer into the correctional facility. Such additional information may come from police, prosecutors, and courts, and may include items such as a victim impact statement (a document prepared by or on behalf of the victim, concerning the physical, emotional and financial impact of the crime); police reports; criminal history; or pre-sentence report. Ideally, these records would be sent in an electronic format and easily incorporated into an inmate's institutional case file. Until the establishment of integrated information systems, however, hard copies of these documents should be made available to appropriate corrections staff. (See Policy Statement 5, Promoting Systems Integration and Coordination, for more on linking data systems.) If the individual is being admitted pursuant to a probation or parole revocation, relevant information and documents from community corrections staff should also be included.
Care should be taken to ensure that private material, such as information concerning the involvement of individuals in social services and government programs, remains confidential. Even in sensitive subject areas, however, some information can and should be shared in order to prevent redundancy and improve services to individuals. For example, if intake staff can identify a caseworker or counselor who has worked with the incoming prisoner, they can invite the caseworker or counselor to provide input into the prisoner's programming plan or to continue to work with the prisoner during his or her incarceration. Corrections staff and information providers from other systems should take particular care to preserve the confidentiality of information concerning victims, who may wish to limit or control their own involvement in determinations concerning the incarcerated individual, or to maintain anonymity regarding their input. (See sidebar, "Regulations Regarding Confidentiality," for more on legal protections for confidential information.)