Introduction
• The use of violence risk assessment tools
within criminal justice and forensic psychiatry has been on the rise in the
recent past.
• However, there is limited data that is
relevant, reliable, and unbiased inaccurate prediction of risk.
• There are several structured tools for the
assessment of the risk of violence in criminal justice.
• The tools help to inform decisions on
detention, discharge, client management, and general psychiatry about violence.
• This presentation is based on a review of
case studies of Colleen M. and Xander L. using selected risk assessment
devices.
Brief
review of cases
Case 1: Colleen
• She is a 15-year old girl whose parents are
irresponsible of taking care of her opting to live with an auntie.
• She had a dispute a neighbor about her dog
that resulted in her death and charged with involuntary manslaughter.
• Colleen also tested positive for opiates,
but she denied it.
Case 2: Xander l.
• Is a 17-year old male known as a gang
member and with a history of purse snatching, breaking, and drug possession?
• He was arrested with a concealed weapon and
has been in custody once and placed on probation twice.
• Xander lives with his supportive mother
who is not happy with his conduct.
Summary
of the risk assessment
• The choice of tools used in risk assessment
is the Hare Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) and the Statistical
Information on Recidivism Scale (SIR).
• SIR tool combined 15 items in a scoring
system and generated the probability estimates of re-offending within three
years of release.
• Each item measures the demographic/criminal
history aspect
• It uses positive and negative scores for
individual items
• The summation item score gives a total
ranging from -30 (poor risk) to +27 (very good risk). The scores are then
clustered in groups ranging from very good (4/5) to the poor (1/3 prediction of
succeeding).
Continuation
of risk assessment
• The PCL-R is a diagnostic tool used for
rating individual psychopathic/antisocial tendencies.
• It was originally used to assess persons
accused or convicted of crimes.
• It uses a 20-item symptom rating scale that
allows examiners to compare the level of psychopathy with a prototype.
• The maximum score in a PCL-R tool is 40,
and any score above 30 implies a diagnosis for psychopathy.
Comparison
of results for each
• For, Colleen, the score from the PCL-R tool
was obtained as 21.
• The score from the SIR tool was obtained as
3 for the group cluster.
• For, Xander, the score from the PCL-R too;
was obtained to be 25.
• The score from the SIR tool was determined
as four on the group cluster results.
• A score of 21 on the PCL-R tool and three
on the SIR tool shows that Colleen has not transited to a fully violent
criminal, but her behavior seems to deteriorate with time.
Continuation
of results comparison
• The score of 25 on the PCL-R tool and four
on the SIR tool results indicate that Xander is a repeat offender and has criminals’
traits that need to be reassessed.
• The two assessments help to predict the
level of violence demonstrated in the case studies.
• Xander seems to be a more violent and
repeat criminal in comparison to Colleen who finds herself in violent
situations.
• However, taking opiates complicates the
matter, and it's easy to conclude that she is being oriented to criminal
behavior.
Additional
Information
• The SIR tool predicts only recidivism for
the released offenders and categorizes results from very good to poor.
• On its part, PCL-R tool reviews an
individual record and history of crime.
• However, the two have limitations in
assessing the risk of violence on particular individuals.
• It would be appropriate to have additional
information on the effect of relationship to criminal behavior, other
underlying factors other than the physical criminal behavior, and the level of
threat of risk to criminal behavior.
Continuation
on additional information
• The relationships between the offenders and
their families play a critical role in predicting criminal behavior and the
risk of violence, hence necessary to assess.
• Other factors that I liked to have included
the influence of the state of mind in engaging in criminal behavior which could
not be comprehensively assessed through PCL-R tool.
• It would be necessary to have details on
the level of risk to criminal behavior from the two case studies which does not
come out from the assessment tools.
Recommendation
on correctional strategy for each
Colleen
• She needs counseling on how she can accept
the status of her dysfunctional family and strategies of moving on.
• She should be taken to a rehabilitation
center where she can be guided on how to deal with emotional challenges other
than the use of opiates.
• Colleen requires understanding how to deal
with misunderstandings and conflicts without the use of violence and risky
reactions.
Continuation of
recommendation
Xander
• He needs support and counseling on how he
can avoid drug abuse that probably has largely influenced his conduct.
• He should be taken to a rehabilitation
center to learn on how to live in peace with others, especially her mother.
• Due to the possession of a concealed
weapon, Xander ought to be punished legally to understand the consequences of
his conduct.
Conclusion
• Violence and criminal behavior risk
assessment are crucial considerations in criminal justice.
• The discussed assessment tools are PCL-R
and SIR tools which have been found to be effective in risk assessment.
• However, some limitations cannot be fully
accounted for when using the tools.
• Colleen is at lower risk of engaging in
criminal activity and violence in comparison to Xander who is a serial offender
with a history of criminal activities.
• The two requires counseling,
rehabilitation, and should understand the consequences of their behavior.
References
• Bonta, J. (2002). Offender risk assessment:
Guidelines for selection and use. Criminal
Justice and Behavior, 29(4), 355-379.
• Desmarais, S., & Singh, J. (2013). Risk
assessment instruments validated and implemented in correctional settings in
the United States.
• Douglas, T., Pugh, J., Singh, I.,
Savulescu, J., & Fazel, S. (2017). Risk assessment tools in criminal
justice and forensic psychiatry: the need for better data. European Psychiatry, 42, 134-137.
• Hare, R. D. (2003). The psychopathy
checklist–Revised. Toronto, ON.
• James, N. (2015). Risk and Needs Assessment
in the Criminal Justice System. Congressional Research Service.
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