LSI-R ASSESMENT DOMAINS

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LSI-R Assessment Domains

LSI-R, (Level of Service Inventory-Revised), is considered a need assessment to help in identification of problems in the life of an offender and predict their recidivism risks. The item is instrumental in assessment of offenders in 10domains related to the likelihood of an offender going back to prison. Tackling of need areas using prison rehabilitative involvement can reduce an offender’s re-incarceration probability’s-R’s are mostly completed by assessors who are trained and interview the offenders. The information is also confirmed through external sources. Female Offenders who are assessed are those who their sentences are more than 6 months with two women attached to the women facilities tasked with the responsibility of conducting LSI-R. On the other hand, Male Offenders sentenced to 9 month and more are often targeted for the assessment done by four counselors.

LSI-R, assessment domains

Criminal history

Criminal history of an offender is important in the while, process with roughly three quarters of the entire population assessed having two or more convictions. This means many of them are always repeat offenders. At the same time, criminal history of offenders and close acquaintances has to be assessed during the process (Gendreau, Little & Goggin, 580).

Education/Employment

The assessment of almost half of the offenders has shown that they do not have high school diploma with the 12 months before incarceration, indicates that 56% of men and 65% of women were reported to be unemployed. This shows how the level of education and a person is living standard importance in the entire process (Lowenkamp, PhD & Bechtel, 2007).

Family/Marital

It is important to assess the family situation of the offenders to understand the reasons for their involvement in drugs. Studies conducted have shown that individuals assessed have their immediate family members or significant others involved in criminal acts.

Accommodation

It is important to know the address of an offender to help in supervision to ensure they do not go back to using drugs.

Alcohol/Drug Problem

The assessment of the level or degree of a drug problem can be done through screening to understand the root of their addiction or drug abuse. At the same time, the drug abuse has a direct link with an individual criminal behavior.

Leisure/Recreation

Assessment of the offenders’ leisure and recreation is healthy in figuring out what they do during their free time. This would help in coming up with ways to help them make good usage of their free time (Gendreau, Little, & Goggin, 600). Such an evaluation is beneficial to the offenders as the assessors are able to establish structured schedule, which entail ancillary support services and restriction of unstructured time

Companions

It is important for an offender to be assessed on the individuals they surround themselves with in that many of them often surround themselves with persons they share similar backgrounds .In most cases, they fail to establish close ties with law abiding people and such a scenario has an impact in their lives in terms of drug abuse.

Emotional/Personal

The evaluation of an offender emotional health is instrumental in choosing the counseling, screening, and medicine they need as almost half of them experience mental health challenges.

Attitudes/Orientation

The attitude of a person remains helpful in assessing conventional values associated with an individual. Offenders with favorable attitudes in relation to their prison sentence and supervision often translate to good behavior during their incarceration. Conversely, they are successful in completing community supervision.

Conclusion

Even though, LSI-R score shows moderate needs, the data from the individual domains often points many destabilizing factors presence among the offenders population. There is a need for proper case planning, efficient case management, as well as rehabilitation, which starts with a valid individual assessment. The quantitative survey assessment of offenders attributes in addition to their situations remains relevant in making decisions supervision levels and treatment.

References

Gendreau, P., Little, T., & Goggin, C. (1996). A meta-analysis of the predictors of adult offender recidivism: What works!Criminology, 34(4), 575-607. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/220697595?accountid=458Lowenkamp, C. T., PhD., & Bechtel, K. (2007). The predictive validity of the LSI-R on a sample of offenders drawn from the records of the iowa department of corrections data management system. Federal Probation, 71(3), 25-29,57. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/213976981?accountid=458