Assessment Processes
The plan developed to prepare a person for safe and successful transition from prison or jail to the community must be based on comprehensive information about that individual’s strengths, risks, and needs. Such information is typically collected through a series of screenings, assessments, and evaluations conducted prior to sentencing and immediately after a person is admitted to a correctional institution. Ideally, this information is updated periodically throughout the person’s incarceration and until his or her period of community supervision concludes. And, it is used to make informed decisions about how to manage risk, deliver services, treat the individual, and allocate resources efficiently.
Announcements
8/5/08 — The Council of State Governments Justice Center unveiled today a first-of-its-kind interactive online tool for state and local government professionals working to make prison and jail reentry safer and more successful. The tool was developed with support from the Bureau of Justice Assistance, U.S. Department of Justice, to familiarize state and local government officials with different assessment instruments used in corrections systems across the nation to gauge the risks and needs of someone admitted to prison or jail.
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Justice Center Work
The Justice Center, with funding support from the Bureau of Justice Assistance, is coordinating a project that will improve assessment processes and inform individualized case plans with the programming and services needed to increase the likelihood that an incarcerated individual’s reentry into the community will be successful. |
In the Report
The Report of the Re-Entry Policy Council is a comprehensive guide for policymakers and practitioners interested in addressing the challenges people face when they are released from prisons and jails. Related Policy Statements: 8: Development of Intake Procedures9: Development of Programming Plan 17: Advising the Releasing Authority 18: Release Decision |
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Reentry in Action
Pennsylvania: Process for selecting assessment instruments From 2001-2003 a core group of DOC research and evaluation staff in collaboration with outside experts, reviewed and pilot-tested several different risk and needs assessment instruments in an effort to determine which instruments best fit the needs of their particular population. Five different instruments were pilot-tested with incoming admissions at seven prisons across the state. After analyzing data from the pilot-tests the researchers recommended three instruments for use in PA correctional facilities: the Level of Services Inventory – Revised (LSI-R), the Criminal Sentiment Scale Modified (CSS – M), and the Hostile Interpretations Questionnaire (HIQ). |
Additional Resources
Check out relevant news clips, publications, legislation, and helpful websites relating to assessment processes. Most recent additions: |
The Justice Center provides technical assistance to state and local policymakers on behalf of the Bureau of Justice Assistance, U.S. Department of Justice, on initiatives designed to improve the likelihood that people released from prisons and jails will successfully reintegrate into the community. Through these efforts, the Justice Center helps jurisdictions build consensus and enhance the design and implementation of collaborative reentry systems, facilitates peer-to-peer learning, and develops a range of print and web-based publications, tools, and policy guides.