The transition planning team should consult the information compiled by corrections staff or service providers during intake and the incarceration period, including assessed static and dynamic risk factors. (See Policy Statement 8, Development of Intake Procedure, for more on assessments and other information gathering.) The team should also employ the most current information available, which in many cases will come from the report presented to the releasing authority to assist in its decision-making responsibilities. (See Policy Statement 17, Advising the Releasing Authority, for more on information gathered to inform the release decision.) The team should then design an individualized supervision strategy that takes into account this information about risks and needs.

Significantly, the risk assessment instrument used for making the release decision may have to be modified and re-administered to account for the goals of those charged with developing the supervision strategy. In some cases, it may be possible to rely on the same assessment instrument for making parole release decisions and for determining supervision levels, but this should be determined by examining the goals of each particular stage of the process and the populations affected. For example, while an instrument used to determine whether a person should be released might measure the general risk of recidivism, the transition team may need to know the person's risk of committing specific types of offenses in order to determine an appropriate supervision strategy. While a releasing authority might be particularly concerned with continued criminal thinking (i.e., a lack of readiness to engage in pro-social activities) when the release decision has been made or mandatory release approaches, the transition planning team might be particularly concerned about the risks associated with an individual's returning to live with his or her family. Ultimately, measurement of different kinds of risks may require the use of different instruments.

Just as it is important to assess the risk factors of a re-entering person, it is important to recognize and assess those assets that the individual may possess or have at his or her disposal. Assessment instruments may identify assets such as education or skills that can be incorporated into the reintegration strategy. Such inclusion will promote ownership of the strategy by the person under supervision, and in turn, increase the likelihood that his or her re-entry will be successful.