How to Get the Most Out of Risk Assessment in Juvenile Justice (2013)

The adoption of risk assessment instruments to aid in structured decision-making has become a popular practice in juvenile justice, particularly since it was strongly recommended by Congress ten years ago in the Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA). Many state and county juvenile justice agencies have adopted risk assessments in the past decade, however, research suggests that few may be using these instruments appropriately in their decisionmaking (Shook & Saari, 2007). If implemented well, a risk assessment instrument can improve allocation of resources and lead to fewer youths being removed from the home or incarcerated, while still protecting public safety. This article briefly describes how to effectively implement a risk assessment instrument in a juvenile justice system and presents research findings on the changes that can result.