1. Next Generation Risk/Needs Assessment Dr. Derek Allen

2. Why Is Risk/Needs Assessment Important? Risk Principle – the intensity of an offender’s supervision & treatment must be proportional to their level of risk. Failure to do this may increase the likelihood of future offending Needs Principle – Services should target dynamic criminogenic risk factors that can be changed Risk/needs assessments help practitioners connect offenders with appropriate levels of supervision, programs & services.

3. Current Risk Needs Assessment Instrument -- COMPAS In 2001-2002 GDC began using the Northpointe COMPAS to assess the risk/needs of Georgia’s correctional population 141 questions, TCUDS-II later added to the assessment (total 159 questions) Data is automatically scored to identify offender risk/needs

4. Current Risk Needs Assessment Instrument -- COMPAS COMPAS is a respected instrument that demonstrates the benefits of assessment and provides guidance in programming decisions New technologies and advances now allow GDC to move towards the next generation of assessment. GDC has hired Applied Research Services (research team) to develop a new and improved risk/needs instrument.

5. Vision of GDC’s Next Generation Assessment Fully automated instrument that utilizes SCRIBE data – why ask offenders questions that are already answered in SCRIBE? Utilizing SCRIBE data = shorter instrument & reduced administration time Specific to the Georgia correctional population Matches risk/needs to specific GDC programs/services

6. First Step Towards Next Generation Assessment: Bridge Assessment A bridge assessment is a temporary instrument used until the final version is completed GDC’s contract with COMPAS ends with the fiscal year – a bridge assessment is necessary for operational continuity within GDC A bridge assessment provides the research team with data needed to create the final instrument COMPAS Next Generation Assessment Bridge Assessment

7. First Step Towards Next Generation Assessment: Bridge Assessment The bridge assessment is composed of questions developed by the Texas Christian University Institute for Behavioral Research that have been thoroughly tested and validated. The bridge assessment domains (areas of questioning) are: criminal thinking, education/employment, peer associations, mental health needs, substance abuse needs, childhood trauma & motivation for substance abuse treatment.

8. The Bridge Assessment The bridge assessment will have approximately 130 questions – less than the combined COMPAS and TCUDS-II (159 questions) The bridge includes TCUDS-II questions Respondent answers will be entered into a SCRIBE screen and risk/need scores will be automatically calculated Scores will be associated with programming requirements (as is done now with COMPAS risk/need scores)

9. The Bridge Assessment The bridge assessment will likely be in use for 12-18 months, until completion of the final instrument Operationally the bridge assessment should feel very similar to COMPAS. However, the pay-off from using this instrument will be an end product that will be much more user- friendly for the field.

10. Importance of the Bridge Assessment The bridge assessment will provide the research team with critical data that is not currently available in SCRIBE The better the data entered into SCRIBE, the more accurate and reliable the instrument will be The goal of the final instrument is to ask as few questions as possible and to mostly rely on data fields already entered in SCRIBE. The hope is that many fields can act as a “proxy” for risk/needs.

11. What is a Proxy? A proxy is a field(s) not specific to an issue, but is predictive of that issue. Example: Car insurance is typically cheaper for married couples. Marriage in itself does not make you a better driver. It is “proxy” for other factors that do statistically predict safe driving such as being more responsible, older, and home ownership.

12. What is a Proxy? Data collected from the bridge assessment will be combined with SCRIBE data to look for “proxies” for offender issues. Example: Perhaps it is found that most offenders with severe cognitive programming needs are within a certain age range and have certain offending patterns. Instead of asking offenders 37 questions to determine cog needs, the new assessment could use these fields from SCRIBE as a proxy & automatically recommend cog programming.

13. Goals for Final “Next Generation” Instrument Data collected from the bridge assessment will allow the research team to create a state of the art GDC risk/needs assessment Greatly reduced assessment administration time from using data already entered into SCRIBE Automatic reassessments An instrument developed/validated on Georgia’s unique offender population Ability to feed assessment data to the field in a user-friendly format

14. Name John Doe GDC ID 123456 DOB 5/19/1974 Sex/Race White Male Ht 6’3” Wt 210 Eyes Blue Hair Brown Criminal History 13 Arrests (5 Felony, 8 Misd.) Current Charge(s): Burglary 11 Convictions – (4 Felony, 7 Misd.) Current Sentence: 3 years prison 2 Georgia prison terms 2 Felony probation terms Criminogenic Needs Substance Abuse Employment/Vocational Training Cognitive Treatment Financial Problems Program Recommendations ⃝ Motivation For Change ⃝ Re-Entry Skills ⃝ Matrix Recovery Skills ⃝ Matrix Relapse Prevention ⃝ Referral to Dept. of Labor ⃝ Moral Reconation Therapy (MRT) ⃝ Thinking For a Change ⃝ Personal finance/budgeting class Location Baldwin State Prison Supervision/Security Level Close Security Threat High Validated Security Threat Group CRIPS Warrants/Detainers ICE Sentence Term/Release Date (Inc. TPM) 3/3/14 TCUDS II 5 – Severe drug-related problems Conceptual Vision – GDC Risk/Needs Profile

15. An Evolving Process This process has just begun. The research team and GDC are working towards a vision of the “next generation assessment.” The goal is to deploy the new instrument within 18 months. The process is evolving and depends upon quality data being entered into SCRIBE and accurate and consistent use of the bridge assessment The research team is working closely with an advisory council from GDC and will routinely be in the field to solicit input and feedback Policies and SOP for the final instrument have not been developed yet

16. Closing GDC is excited about the possibilities that come with this new, state-of-the art type of risk/needs assessment The final assessment instrument will both streamline and improve risk/needs assessment for all offenders in GDC custody