The most important function of a probation department is to supervise criminal offenders who have been placed on probation or under court supervision in lieu of serving time in prison or jail. The mission of probation is to provide necessary services to the offender toward reducing criminal/delinquent behavior, while balancing the needs and ensuring the safety of the community.
The cornerstone of effective supervision is risk assessment. Assessing an offender’s risk and needs is essential to implementing best practices and provides the basis for case planning.
Indiana Risk Assessment System and Indiana Youth Assessment System
Indiana uses a series of tools to assess criminal offenders under supervision (e.g., on probation, in drug treatment, etc.) and determine their risk of reoffending. More information on these risk assessment tools can be found at: http://www.in.gov/judiciary/probation/2762.htm
Additional Needs / Risk Assessment Instruments used by Indiana Probation Departments
The following risk and needs assessment instruments are used by some Indiana probation departments (or treatment providers in conjunction with the probation department) in addition to the initial risk and needs assessment conducted on an offender sentenced to probation.
- Domestic Violence Screening Inventory
- Measures risk and need in male and female adult and juvenile DV offenders
- Instrument is proprietary
- Massachusetts Youth Screening Instrument-2 (MAYSI-2)
- Screening tool designed to identify youth with special mental health needs
- Instrument is proprietary
- Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)
- Assesses personality and psychopathology; can be used to support classification, treatment and management decisions in criminal justice/correctional settings.
- Instrument is proprietary
- Rapid Risk Assessment of Sexual Offender Recidivism (RRASOR)
- Screening instrument for risk of sex offender recidivism among males who have been convicted of at least one sexual offense
- STATIC-99 (measures risk to recidivate for male sex offenders)
- Assesses the long-term potential for sexual recidivism among adult male sex offenders
- Substance Abuse Subtle Screening Inventory (SASSI)
- Administered by substance abuse clinicians—identifies individuals who have a high probability of having a substance use disorder
- Instrument is proprietary