Use of dynamic risk/need assessment instruments among long-term incarcerated offenders

Dynamic risk/need assessment instruments are useful tools in the effective treatment and management of offenders. The Level of Service Inventory-Revised (LSI-R) is a dynamic risk/need assessment instrument that has been used extensively among a variety of offender samples. Although considerable research has shown that the instrument is valid and reliable, there is a lack of information on the predictive validity of the instrument among longer term offenders. In the current study the LSI-R was completed on a sample of 129 Canadian federally incarcerated offenders serving a mean sentence length of 5 years. Scores on the LSI-R were compared to various recidivism criteria during a 15-month follow-up period. Results indicated the instrument had acceptable reliability and predictive validity and distinguished recidivists from nonrecidivists. Results are discussed within the context of the assessment and treatment of longer term offenders.