Next generation assessment technology: the potential and pitfalls of integrating individual and community risk assessment

The recent inclusion of community-level risk variables in (some) fourth generation risk assessment instruments, ostensibly to make more accurate individual-level predictions of the likelihood of reoffending among the populations of probationers and parolees under community supervision, is examined i...

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Bibliographic Details
Authors: Byrne, James M. 1954- (Author) ; Pattavina, April (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Published: 2017
In: Probation journal
Year: 2017, Volume: 64, Issue: 3, Pages: 242-255
Online Access: Volltext (Resolving-System)
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Summary:The recent inclusion of community-level risk variables in (some) fourth generation risk assessment instruments, ostensibly to make more accurate individual-level predictions of the likelihood of reoffending among the populations of probationers and parolees under community supervision, is examined in the following review. This development raises a thorny issue: what if the price of improved predictive accuracy is increased gender, race, or class-based disparity? Our review underscores the problems (conceptualization and measurement related) inherent in combining individual risk variables with community-level risk variables in order to assess an offender’s risk for re-offending during a specified follow-up period. In recognition of the likely disparity that will result from the conflation of neighborhood risk into individual risk assessments, we suggest an alternative: conduct a separate neighborhood risk assessment that can be used to simultaneously develop (1) a community-based treatment plan for individual offenders and (2) a resource development plan identifying and addressing service shortfalls and other risk factors in the neighborhoods where offenders reside.
ISSN:1741-3079
DOI:10.1177/0264550517720851