In the evolving landscape of criminology, the concept of desistance—the process by which individuals cease and abstain from criminal behavior—is gaining prominence. Public safety organizations are shifting from a predominant focus on factors that increase risk to a focus on factors that also reduce risk. This shift recognizes the complexities...
Pedro das Neves is the CEO of IPS Innovative Prison Systems, a research and consulting firm specializing in justice and correctional services. He is the Executive Director of ICJS Innovative Criminal Justice Inc., a Canadian firm that focuses on advisory, design, integration, and delivery of innovative organizational and technological solutions...
If the COVID-19 pandemic taught criminal justice professionals anything, it was that the criminal justice system was not immune to the sweeping effects of the pandemic. The pandemic brought various challenges to those who are incarcerated, on probation, or on parole within North America. Correctional and probation/parole officers saw an...
Predictive validity refers to an assessment's ability to accurately predict an outcome. In the context of risk/needs assessments, accuracy is determined through a validation process. Validation tests if an assessment’s estimated risk/needs score for an individual corresponds to actual behavior or outcomes. In order to test the prediction, meaningful outcome...
According to a study by DeFina and Hannon (2009), mass incarceration over the past few decades increased the U.S. poverty rate by approximately 20%. Justice-involved individuals are more likely to reside in low-income neighborhoods which are subject to higher surveillance, policing, and arrests (Reisdorf & DeCook, 2022). Consequently, a person...
Coming out of 2022, public safety organizations must examine internal and external factors that could greatly affect their operations. What are the emerging trends and needs in public safety? What can organizations do to support these critical issues? Here are the five trends we predict will be significant focus areas...
Due to its role in informing parole and probation decisions, the use of professional judgment or overrides in risk/needs assessment and management can become scrutinized after tragic and violent events. What is a risk/needs assessment? Why do assessors override risk assessment scores? Is the use of this override common? What does...
