Specialized Populations: When is ORAS not enough?
The Corrections Institute
Center for Criminal Justice Research
University of Cincinnati
The Ultimate Goal
• To develop the most comprehensive view of the person– Incorporate actuarial assessments,
structured evaluations, and professional judgment
Best Practices: The Use of a Actuarial Assessment
• Medical• Automobile• Insurance• Mechanical • Economics• Healthcare
Anybody Recognize This?
Probably Not. But You Probably Recognize This?
Effectiveness of the QWERTY v DVORAK
• Some dispute findings but most accept– DVORAK 33% fewer errors– Guinness Book of World Records
• 212 words a minute with DVORAK
– 30 times less stressful to hands– Ergonomically superior – Alternate hands – 70% of the keys used are on one row
Why QWERTY over DVORAK?
• QWERTY was more effective for typewriters
• Why was it not adopted once technology advanced?
– We already know what we are doing.
– We have been doing this for so long.
– It works the way we are doing it.
– It is too expensive to change.
– It will take too much to relearn what I am doing.
Goal of Assessment
• To capture a true picture of the person we are working with regarding his or her strengths, areas of general need, crime producing factors, and support networks
Creating a True PictureCriminogenic
Needs Specialized Population
Need Specific Assessments
Structured Professional
Judgment
Environment
Social Support
Criminogenic Needs
• Assess offenders using a valid instrument for the purpose of gathering a composite risk score/level
The Utility of the ORAS
• Broad measure of criminogenic needs– Overall risk level
• “Red Flags” for domain specific needs– Low– Moderate– High
Use a Valid Risk Assessment Instrument to Predict Recidivism
Clinical Judgement Risk Assessment0%
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Specialized Populations
• Sexual offenders• Domestic Violence• Operating Motor Vehicle while
Intoxicated• Violent offenders• Women offenders• Veteran offenders
Assessing Specialized Populations
• Consider general risk• Concentrate on areas that are
problematic for that type of offender• Remember, composite risk score relates
to the overall likelihood
Who Is More Likely to Reoffend?
• 1st time DUI• Drinking at a bar with friends• Crossed the double yellow line• .12 BA• Employed• Has a driver’s license• States “The cop was just doing
their job”• “It is not ok to drink and drive”• Family that supports sober
lifestyle
• 1st time DUI• Drinking at a bar with friends• Crossed the double yellow line• .12 BA• Unemployed• Driving w/o a license• States “The cop was out to get
me”• Everyone gets one DUI• Family who engages in alcohol
use on a regular basis
15
DUIs/OMVIs
• Not highly related to how much you drink
DUI/OMVI-Multiple DUIs
Two Typologies of DUIs
• Problem drinkers who drive
• Problem drivers who drink
Offender Types
• Sexual offender assessments– Rapid Risk Assessment of Sex Offense
Recidivism (RRASOR)– Minnesota Sex Offender Screening Tool
(MnSOST-R)– Static-2002R– Sex Offender Risk Appraisal Guide
(SORAG)
Violent/Anger
• HCR-20• Violence Risk Appraisal Guide (VRAG)• Hostile Interpretation Questionnaire
(HIQ)• Hostility Inventory
Domestic Violence
• Spousal Assault Risk Assessment• Danger Assessment
Individualized Needs within Each Domain
Domain
Targets for Change
Individual Needs
Domain Areas
Offender Types
Education, Employment,
and Education
Family and Social
Support
Substance Use
Peer Associations
Attitudes, Values, and
Beliefs
Targets for Change
• Education
• Employment
• Financial Situation
Family and Social Support
• Family of origin
• Current family
• Community support networks
• Housing
Substance Abuse
• Alcohol
• Drugs
– Type of drugs
Substance Abuse
Issue with peers?
Physiologically Addicted?
Poor emotional regulation?
Peers
• Prosocial networks
• Antisocial networks
Criminal Attitudes and Behavior Problems
• Prosocial/Antisocial Attitudes
• Empathy/Compassion
• Aggressiveness
• Risk Taking
NEED SPECIFIC ASSESSMENTS
Attitudes, Values, and Beliefs
• Criminal Sentiments Scale-M• Circumstances, Motivation, Readiness,
& Suitability• Jesness Inventory• Navaco Anger Scale and Provocation
Inventory
Drug/Alcohol
• Addiction Severity Index• Adult Substance Use Survey• Alcohol use disorders identification test• Level of Care Utilization System
Mental Health
• Brief Jail Mental Health Screen• Diagnostic Interview Schedule IV• MMPI-2• Personality Assessment Inventory• Traumatic Symptom Inventory
Family
• Ecomap• Genogram• Norbeck social Support Questionnaire
Education/Employment
• Adult Basic Learning Examination• Basic English Skills Test• Burns/Roe Informal Reading Inventory• Slossom Oral Reading Test• Tests of adult Basic Education
Professional Judgment
• Within each target—why is this an issue of this individual?
Environment
• How does the environment the person interacts within help, hurt, have no impact?
Social Support
• What resources does this person have or is available that can be leveraged to meet his/her needs?
Assessment
• On-going process– The more we know, the more we can tailor
our interventions
– One level of assessment is not enough