Recidivism risk assessment within prison system: Accomplishments and challenges

Abstract

As one of the fundamental segments of penal treatment, recidivism risk assessment has been through numerous modifications since its beginning. When taking recidivism risk assessment as a key segment which serves as a base for all decisions on the type and intensity of the treatment a convict should forego, it is clear why the attention of scientists and experts in the field of criminal treatment is predominately focused on the matter at hand. The achievements so far undeniably indicate that recidivism risk assessment which is conducted using relevant instruments is significantly better than the one that is based on professional and personal experience of experts or their intuition. Nonetheless, there are still certain dilemmas and challenges that are targets of criticism but that are also the drivers of constant recidivism risk assessment instrument reevaluation and improvement. The reevaluation and improvement is done with the aim of designing a quality risk assessment instrument the use of which would contribute to the reduction of the risk of recidivism and enhance public safety with optimum utilization of limited resources which are invested in the correction system. Bearing the aforementioned in mind, the aim of the paper is recidivism risk assessment in convicts within the prison system. The goal is to analyze relevant research papers analyzing the achievements as well as the issues related to assessment and to provide the guidelines for further development and improvement of the process.