Advancing Fairness and Transparency: National Guidelines for Post-Conviction Risk and Needs Assessment
The Issue
There are valid and growing concerns about accuracy, fairness, transparency, and communication in the use of risk and needs assessment. Risk and needs assessment results are not used enough to inform case decisions and management. Criminal justice agencies have not been given the guidance they need to communicate the strengths and limitations of risk and needs assessment. Furthermore, people who are being assessed rarely receive information about these assessments, how they work, and what they will be used to determine.
The Solution
Advancing Fairness and Transparency: National Guidelines for Post-Conviction Risk and Needs Assessment, a new resource from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs’ Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) and The Council of State Governments Justice Center, addresses these gaps with clear, concrete direction. Funded by BJA as a project of the Public Safety Risk Assessment Clearinghouse, the guidelines were developed under the advisement of a national group of researchers, risk and needs assessment instrument developers, practitioners, and leaders in the field. They prioritize accuracy, fairness, and transparency in the communication and use of risk and needs assessment.
Intended Audience
These guidelines and their associated resources were developed with a variety of audiences in mind, including legislators, administrators, practitioners, and researchers.