National Institute of Corrections Library

This video describes the Indiana Risk Assessment System (IRAS). IRAS “is designed to provide Indiana's courts with information about an offender's potential risks and needs, allowing trial courts to provide appropriate sentences, supervision and treatment services. These risk assessment tools enhance efforts to rehabilitate offenders, reduce recidivism, and increase public safety.” SOURCE: Indiana Supreme Court (Indianapolis, IN) .

Anyone looking for an example of a great risk assessment system and or risk assessment instruments needs to look at this publication. “The Indiana Risk Assessment System (IRAS) is made up of five separate instruments to be used at specific points in the criminal justice process to identify an offender’s risk to reoffend and criminogenic needs. These instruments are used at distinct points in the criminal justice system to promote and assist with developing individualized case plans. By appropriately targeting the identified criminogenic needs through individualized case plans, it is anticipated recidivism will be reduced” (p. 1). Sections contained in this document are: IRAS policy and procedures; Pre-Trial Tool (IRAS-PAT); Community Supervision Screening Tool (IRAS-CSST)—used to quickly identify low-risk offenders and determine if a full risk assessment is needed; Community Supervision Tool (IRAS-CST)—to be used by probation, parole, community corrections, drug courts, and problem solving courts ; Prison Intake Tool (IRAS-PIT); and Reentry Tool (IRAS-RT). A copy of the Tool and its accompanying Scoring Guide and Interview Guide are included. SOURCE: University of Cincinnati. Center for Criminal Justice Research (Cincinnati, OH). Authored by Lovins, B.K..

This brief explains how pretrial risk assessments can benefit the community by improving public safety and reducing costs. Sections cover: what a pretrial risk assessment tool is; the risk factors that are on a pretrial risk assessment; why it is important to some a person’s risk level; the effectiveness of pretrial risk assessments; how pretrial risk assessments are developed; the challenges and limitations of a pretrial risk assessment; and the things criminal justice stakeholders can do to implement pretrial risk assessments. SOURCE: Pretrial Justice Institute (PJI) (Washington, DC).