Abstract
A growing body of scholarship faults existing risk/needs assessment models for neglecting the risk factors most relevant to women offenders. In response, a series of gender-responsive assessment models were tested for their contributions to widely used gender-neutral risk needs assessments. In six of eight samples studied, subsets of the gender-responsive scales achieved statistically significant contributions to gender-neutral models. Promising results were found for the following: (a) parental stress, family support, self-efficacy, educational assets, housing safety, anger/hostility, and current mental health factors in probation samples; (b) child abuse, anger/hostility, relationship dysfunction, family support, and current mental health factors among prisoners; and (c) adult victimization, anger/hostility, educational assets, and family support among released inmates. The predictive validity of gender-neutral assessments was strong in seven of eight samples studied. However, findings for both gender-neutral and gender-responsive domains suggested different treatment priorities for women from those currently put forward in correctional theory and policy.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 261-288 |
Number of pages | 28 |
Journal | Criminal Justice and Behavior |
Volume | 37 |
Issue number | 3 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Mar 2010 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- correctional classification
- criminogenic needs
- gender-responsive
- needs
- risk factors
- women offenders
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Pathology and Forensic Medicine
- Psychology(all)
- Law