Deck 4: Assessing Risk: The Importance of Classification

Question 1

What is the process of separating offenders into discrete groups?

A) risk assessment
B) classification
C) risk-need-responsivity model
D) categorizing

Answer 1

B

Question 2

What is the process whereby offenders are assessed on several key variables empirically known to increase the likelihood of committing an offense?

A) risk assessment
B) classification
C) risk-need-responsivity model
D) categorizing

Answer 2

A

Question 3

What is the principle that focuses on who should be treated?

A) ^risk
B) need
C) responsivity
D) risk-need-responsivity

Answer 3

A

Question 4

What is the principle that focuses on which behavior patterns should be treated?

A) risk
B) ^need
C) responsivity
D) risk-need-responsivity

Question 5

What is the principle that states that styles and modes of treatment service must be closely matched to the preferred learning style, motivation, and abilities of the offender?

A) risk
B) need
C) responsivity
D) risk-need-responsivity

Question 6

Assessment of which principle is the first step in determining how best to address an offender's criminogenic needs?

A) risk
B) need
C) responsivity
D) risk-need-responsivity

Question 7

Evidence-based research has shown that if all three principles are considered, recidivism can be reduced by up to what percent?

A) 20
B) 25
C) 30
D) 35

Question 8

Risk/needs factors can be classified as either:

A) "good" or "bad"
B) "right" or "left"
C) "static" or "dynamic"
D) "virtual" or "real"

Question 9

Which risk factors are unchanging?

A) dynamic
B) static
C) virtual
D) good

Question 10

Which one of the following is an example of a static risk factor?

A) drug use
B) marital status
C) age at first arrest
D) employment

Question 11

Which one of the following is an example of a dynamic risk factor?

A) severity of current crime
B) history of violent felony convictions
C) age at first arrest
D) employment

Question 12

The first person to use a scientific approach to predict criminal traits was:

A) Earnest W. Burgess
B) Cesare Beccaria
C) Cesare Lombroso
D) Gary Arling

Question 13

The "born criminal" could be distinguished by:

A) IQ
B) physical stigmata
C) socio economic status
D) education

Question 14

The founder of the Positive School of Criminology:

A) Cesare Beccaria
B) Cesare Patella
C) Cesare Napotano
D) Cesare Lombroso

Question 15

The first era in the development of risk and needs assessment:

A) professional or clinical
B) actuarial
C) dynamic
D) user-friendly

Question 16

The second era in the development of risk and needs assessment:

A) user-friendly
B) actuarial
C) dynamic
D) professional or clinical

Question 17

The third and fourth eras in the development of risk and needs assessment focused on static factors but differed on dynamic risk factors and case planning. What are these two eras called?

A) actuarial
B) professional or clinical
C) user-friendly
D) ^dynamic

Question 18

The fifth era in the development of risk and needs assessment is:

A) dynamic
B) user-friendly
C) actuarial
D) professional or clinical

Question 19

In what era of development of risk and needs assessment did community corrections officers develop an intuitive sense, or a "gut" feeling, of what an offender's risks and needs were and what the probability was that he/she might reoffend?

A) dynamic
B) user-friendly
C) actuarial
D) ^{professional or clinical}

Question 20

The least accurate risk assessment method is:

A) dynamic
B) user-friendly
C) actuarial
D) professional or clinical

Question 21

The science of applying mathematical and statistical methods to assess risk ushered in which era of risk and needs assessment?

A) dynamic
B) user-friendly
C) actuarial
D) professional or clinical

Question 22

The first person to use actuarial models in criminal justice on a large scale was:

A) Earnest Borgnine
B) Earnest Burgess
C) Earnest Beckman
D) Earnest Bookman

Question 23

Which one of the following is NOT a shortfall of actuarial risk assessment?

A) the factors are atheoretical
B) the factors are chosen because they are easily available
C) the factors are dynamic
D) the factors do not provide direction for treatment

Question 24

The two phases of dynamic risk assessment (Phases I and II) differ in terms of:

A) whether and how much the risk and needs are linked to case planning
B) the time it takes to complete the assessments
C) Phase II is more expensive
D) Phase I is more expensive.

Question 25

The process of identifying dynamic risk factors requiring intervention, prioritizing placement in programs and treatment, and assembling the supervision team is called:

A) risk assessment
B) needs assessment
C) case planning
D) intervention

Question 26

The first phase of dynamic risk assessment began in the 1970s when Wisconsin introduced the:

A) Wisconsin Assessment Strategies System
B) Client Management Classification System
C) Applegate Strategies System
D) Offender Management System

Question 27

The second phase of the dynamic risk assessment era began in the late 1970s with the introduction of the:

A) Client Management Classification System
B) Level of Service Inventory-Revised
C) Offender Management System-Revised
D) computers

Question 28

What is the correct order of the eras in the development of risk and needs assessment?

A) dynamic risk assessment phases I and II, actuarial assessment, professional/clinical assessment, user-friendly assessment
B) actuarial assessment, dynamic risk assessment phases I and II, professional/clinical assessment, user-friendly assessment
C) professional/clinical assessment, actuarial assessment, dynamic risk assessment phases I and II, user-friendly assessment
D) professional/clinical assessment, dynamic risk assessment phases I and II, actuarial assessment, user-friendly assessment

Question 29

Users of risk assessment want the next generation of risk and needs assessment instruments to do what?

A) provide more sophisticated analysis
B) use less paper
C) translate complex and abstract factors into easy-to-use, simple, and realistic case planning
D) reduce caseload planning

Question 30

According to a survey by the NIC in 2003, risk and needs assessment occurs at one or more stages of criminal justice processing. What is NOT one of those stages?

A) at arrest
B) at the presentence investigation stage
C) at parole consideration
D) at the beginning of probation

Question 31

Risk and needs assessment is conducted at the pretrial stage of criminal justice processing for several reasons. What is NOT one of those reasons?

A) assess the likelihood that a defendant will appear later in court or be rearrested
B) provide recommendations to the court regarding whether a defendant should be detained or released
C) encourage a defendant's voluntary participation in treatment programs pending court
D) decide if a defendant is indigent or can retain his/her own attorney

Question 32

Many of the agencies that responded to the 2003 NIC survey on when they conduct risk and needs assessment replied that they assess offenders at more than one stage, but some assess at only one stage. What is that one stage?

A) at the presentence stage
B) the beginning of probation or parole supervision
C) when offenders are under consideration for discretionary release from prison
D) at arrest

Question 33

In 2003, the NIC surveyed all state departments of corrections and asked if they used a specialized instrument to assess the risk posed by special-needs offenders. What did they find?

A) most corrections agencies do not administer a specialized instrument to assess the risk posed by special-needs offenders
B) most corrections agencies do administer a specialized instrument to assess the risk posed by special-needs offenders
C) about one-half of the agencies administer a specialized instrument to assess the risk posed by special-needs offenders
D) too few agencies responded to offer any conclusions

Question 34

Risk assessment methods enhance decision-making by ensuring that factors empirically proven to predict risk are considered in a systematic manner.

Question 35

Risk assessment is a process of separating offenders into discrete groups in such a way that offenders in the same group are similar or close to each other on certain common characteristics in order to effectively supervise and manage them.

Question 36

The risk principle focuses on who should be treated.

Question 37

The need principle focuses on which behavior patterns should be treated.

Question 38

The need principle states that styles and modes of treatment service must be closely matched to the preferred learning style, motivation, and abilities of the offender.

Question 39

Assessment of responsivity-related variables is the first step in determining how best to address an offender's criminogenic needs.

Question 40

Evidence-based research has shown that if all three principles are considered, recidivism can be reduced by up to 50 percent.

Question 41

Risk and need refer to an offender's criminogenic needs and the potential they have for prompting her or him to reoffend.

Question 42

Risk/needs factors can be classified as either "static"

Question 43

Static risk factors change.

Question 44

Generally speaking, severity of the current crime is a static risk factor.

Question 45

Dynamic risk/need factors are items associated with future behavior and can change over time.

Question 46

Employment is a dynamic risk factor.

Question 47

Identifying an offender's criminogenic needs makes it possible to provide appropriate treatment, programs, and support to improve his or her chances for success and to reduce the likelihood of reoffending.

Question 48

The first person to use a scientific approach to predict criminal traits was Cesare Beccaria.

Question 49

Lombroso claimed that the bodies of criminals were physically different from those of normal people.

Question 50

In making his discovery of the "born criminal"

Question 51

The first era in the development of risk and needs assessment was actuarial.

Question 52

The second era in the development of risk and needs assessment was user-friendly.

Question 53

The third and fourth eras in the development of risk and needs assessment focused on dynamic risk factors but to a different degree and for a different purpose.

Question 54

The fifth era in the development of risk and needs assessment is user-friendly.

Question 55

In the actuarial era of development of risk and needs assessment, community corrections officers developed an intuitive sense, or a "gut"

Question 56

The least accurate risk assessment method is professional/clinical assessment.

Question 57

The science of applying mathematical and statistical methods to assess risk ushered in the professional/ clinical assessment era.

Question 58

The first person to use actuarial models in criminal justice on a large scale was University of Chicago sociologist Earnest W. Burgess.

Question 59

The actuarial era of risk and needs assessment influenced the development of the Salient Factor Score.

Question 60

The Salient Factor Score estimates an inmate's likelihood of recidivating following his or her release from prison.

Question 61

The Salient Factor Score is based on a series of six dynamic factors.

Question 62

The process of identifying dynamic risk factors requiring intervention, prioritizing placement in programs and treatment, and assembling the supervision team is called case planning

Question 63

Phase I of the dynamic risk assessment era did not address the link between assessment and the type, duration, and intensity of intervention.

Question 64

The first phase of dynamic risk assessment began in the 1970s when Wisconsin introduced the Client Management Classification System.

Question 65

The second phase of the dynamic risk assessment era began in the late 1970s with the introduction of the Level of Service Inventory-Revised.

Question 66

The LSI-R was designed to provide correctional staff with information on offender treatment goals.

Question 67

The LSI-R is a dynamic risk assessment instrument.

Question 68

Users of risk assessment want the next generation of risk and needs assessment instruments to reduce caseload planning.

Question 69

Users of risk assessment want the next generation of risk and needs assessment instruments to provide a different instrument for ever subpopulation of offenders, for example, one for those living in urban areas, a different one for those living in rural areas, a different one for each of the different races/ethnicities, etc.

Question 70

Users of risk assessment also want the next generation of risk and needs assessment instruments to reassess an offender's changing circumstances in real time and readjust the risk score.

Question 71

A survey conducted by the NIC in 2003 discovered that risk assessment only occurs at the presentence investigation stage.

Question 72

You learned in this chapter that risk and needs assessment is never conducted at the pretrial stage of criminal justice processing.

Question 73

According to the 2003 NIC survey of when agencies assess an offender's risks and needs, those that assess at only one stage most often assess at the beginning of probation or parole supervision. TRUE

Question 74

Special-needs offenders exhibit unique physical, mental, social, and programmatic characteristics that distinguish them from other offenders.

Question 75

To know for certain that a specialized assessment instrument would more accurately classify a special- needs offender than a general instrument, it would first be necessary to compare the general risk and needs assessment instrument with the specialized instrument on the same population.

Question 76

______ is the process of separating offenders into discrete groups

Question 77

______ is the process whereby offenders are assessed on several key variables empirically known to increase the likelihood of committing an offense.

Question 78

The______principle focuses on who should be treated.

Question 79

The
principle focuses on which behavior patterns should be treated.

Question 80

The______principle states that styles and modes of treatment service must be closely matched to the preferred learning style, motivation, and abilities of the offender.