Introduction of risk/needs assessment

A number of events and circumstances The risk/needs tool determined which
influenced the development of a risk offenders required intensive supervision and
management strategy in B.C. Corrections. program intervention. This tool provided a
These factors included: more effective way to manage resources

» A gtowing body of literature on effective without jeopardizing public safety.

correctional intervention supported the need Risk assessment instruments were developed

to match offender risk and needs with for adult and youth institutions and the
suitable programming. community. Three risk/needs assessment

» Research indicated that a systematic approach | instruments were introduced to the community
to assess risk and needs improved accuracy of | for cases involving EMP, individuals considered

decision-making. These were growing for early release (i.e. parole), and adult and
concerns, particularly after the Perrault and youth probation. These instruments, which
Gamache cases. were also used during the classification process

» The Branch needed a process to strategically in institutions, included:

manage community caseloads within a fiscally | = Community risk/needs assessment (CRNA);
restrained environment. « Sex offender tisk assessment (SORA); and the
By November 1995, Branch management » Spousal assault risk assessment (SARA).

adopted a systematic assessment process based

on an offender’s risk to reoffend.

The made-in-B.C. CRNA instrument was developed with the assistance of Bill Glackman
and Simon Fraser University, CRNA was based on the research of Don Andrews and
James Bonta (1995) who developed the level of supervision inventory (LSI).

Adapted by the Branch for use in assessing both youth and adults, CRNA was modified to
include validated criminal history factors from established instruments (e.g. statistical
instrument for recidivism scale, salient factor score).

SORA is a specialized instrument to assess adult and youth sex offenders, developed by
Randy Atkinson, Randy Kropp, Richard Laws and Steve Hart (1995). SARA is a
specialized instrument to assess spousal assault cases. Adoption of SARA was influenced
by the violence against women in relationships (VAWIR) policy.

212 Corrections in British Columbia