Program Example
Pennsylvania: Process for selecting assessment instruments
Program Scope: Statewide
Description
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).
Our Publications
This publication discusses how policymakers can increase accountability among people who commit crimes, improve rates of child support collection and victim restitution, and make people’s transition from prisons and jails to the community safe and successful.