At several points along the flowchart of the criminal justice system professionals are required to make judgments as to the likelihood an individual will commit a criminal act or another criminal act. For instance:
Pre-trail release - Is the person who has merely been accused of a crime such a danger to the community that they must remain confined while awaiting trial?
Post-Conviction sentencing - Is this person a viable candidate for supervision under probation or is they likely to commit another criminal act?
Correctional classification - What institutional environment (level of confinement, program availability, etc.) is most appropriate for this individual for their safety as well as that of staff and other inmates?
Release to community-based supervision (e.g., parole)- In light of the changes that have occurred since incarceration, is this individual suitable to complete their sentence under community-based supervision ?
To assist in this determination, risk assessment instruments have been developed which, usually in combination with a clinical interview, will provide some scalable predictability of future criminal/violent behavior. Do they work?
The student will conduct a literature review as follows:
1. Conduct research on the topic of criminal/violent risk assessment.
2. Identify a minimum of two (2) professional literature articles using the UMUC on-line Library resources
3. Compose a review of the articles selected, to include:
a. An introductory statement regarding the risk factor and/or processes identified and the articles selected
b. A brief summary of the article
c. A statement of the thesis (purpose) of the article
d. The method, evidence and/or evaluation the author used in support of the thesis
e. The conclusion or finding
4. For each of the 2 articles selected the student must also identify one (1) supportive article. (See the bibliography of the selected article for potential articles or conduct a literature search using the UMUC on-line Library resources.)
5. Compose a review of each of the supportive articles, consisting of:
a. A brief summary of the article
b. A description of how the supportive article relates to the selected article
6. A concluding statement
-Two (2) articles that address risk factors and/or assessment processes, and
-One (1) article that supports your review/conclusion for EACH of the first two articles.