Offender Risk Assessment

During the past 20 years, there have been significant developments in the area of offender assessment. As a result, this knowledge has placed the field in a position to construct guidelines as to what should characterize useful and effective offender assessment instruments. The author’s suggestions as to what constitutes good assessment ranges from the noncontroversial (e.g., actuarial instruments) to the more contentious (e.g., lessening one’s reliance on static risk scales). Whether the reader agrees with the views expressed, it is hoped that the force of the empirical arguments will at least provoke some careful consideration rather than summarily dismissing them.