A Multilevel Examination of Risk/Need Change Scores, Community Context, and Successful Reentry of Committed Juvenile Offenders

Current theory and practice dictates the use of risk/needs assessment to guide programming to reduce reoffending. Limited research has examined assessment change scores and recidivism, none examining whether such changes moderate the effects of deleterious community contexts. We examine a multiyear...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inYouth violence and juvenile justice Vol. 15; no. 1; pp. 38 - 61
Main Authors Baglivio, Michael T., Wolff, Kevin T., Jackowski, Katherine, Greenwald, Mark A.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01.01.2017
Sage Publications Ltd
Subjects
Community change
Juvenile offenders
Needs assessment
Recidivism
Rehabilitation of criminals
Risk assessment
recidivism
risk assessment
change scores
juvenile offenders
multilevel
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Summary:Current theory and practice dictates the use of risk/needs assessment to guide programming to reduce reoffending. Limited research has examined assessment change scores and recidivism, none examining whether such changes moderate the effects of deleterious community contexts. We examine a multiyear statewide sample of juvenile offenders returning to the community from residential placement (N = 12,302). We address whether changes in dynamic risk/needs scores predict official recidivism upon return, community socioeconomic contexts predict recidivism, and which risk/needs changes moderate the effects of context. Findings reveal 6 of the 17 change scores affect reoffending, context matters, and some change scores moderate contextual effects.
ISSN:1541-2040
1556-9330
DOI:10.1177/1541204015596052