Criminal Risk Assessment, Generations of

Offender risk assessment is the foundation of many interventions in the criminal justice system that affects public safety and the offender’s liberty. The risk of crime that the offender presents influences arrest and sentencing decisions, parole release, how closely the offender is supervised in the community or in prison, and even who receives treatment and what kind of treatment. Treatment within the criminal justice context has the goal of reducing recidivism, and it may or may not involve mental health treatment depending on its link to criminal behavior. There are different approaches to assessing offender risk, and they have been described as generations of risk assessment, ranging from assessments that are the least valid to assessments that are more predictive of criminal behavior and more ...