The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention released a bulletin featuring the article, “Studying Drivers of Risk and Needs Assessment Instrument Implementation in Juvenile Justice,” which examined two studies to determine whether drivers of risk and needs assessment instruments – such as staff training and buy-in, managerial support, and stakeholder engagement – impact effective implementation.
Juvenile justice practitioners use risk and needs assessment instruments to assess whether a youth is at risk of becoming a reoffender. These tools also help identify factors that can minimize recidivism among youth. In addition, juvenile justice professionals rely on assessment findings to develop tailored treatment and service plans to meet individuals’ specific needs and to promote the best possible outcomes among at-risk youth. Research suggests that practitioners’ success in implementing an assessment instrument influences its overall effectiveness.
View the bulletin to learn more.