Risk Assessment

01/04/24 • 64 min

R. Karl Hanson, Ph.D., C.Psych., is one of the leading researchers in the field of risk assessment and treatment for individuals with a history of sexual offending. Originally trained as a clinical psychologist, he was a researcher and research manager in the area of corrections and crime policy for Public Safety Canada between 1991 and 2017. Dr. Hanson has published more than 175 articles, including several highly influential reviews. He is the lead author of the Static-99R, STABLE-2007, and ACUTE-2007 risk tools, which are widely used for assessing the risk and needs of individuals with a history of sexual offending. Based in Ottawa, Canada, he is currently President of the not-for-profit organization SAARNA (Society for the Advancement of Actuarial Risk Need Assessment) and adjunct faculty in the psychology department of Carleton University (Ottawa).

Dr Philip Howard is the Head of Risk Assessment Data Science at the Ministry of Justice. He has worked as a statistician, social researcher and now data scientist on prison, probation and offender assessment issues since 1996. He is the author or co-author of each of the actuarial risk assessment instruments now in use in HMPPS.

Key reference:

Helmus, M. (2021) Estimating the Probability of Sexual Recidivism Among Men Charged or Convicted of Sexual Offences: Evidence Based Guidance for Applied Evaluators. S exual Offending: Theory, Research, and Prevention,Vol. 16, Article e4283, https://doi.org/10.5964/sotrap.4283

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Key reference:

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Previous Episode

Open Prisons

Adrian Turner joined the prison service 1988 as a prison officer, working at Ashford Remand Centre. He subsequently worked at HMP Full Sutton, HMP Norwich, HMP Whitemoor, PSC Newbold Revel, HMP Lindholme, HMP Channings Wood, HMP Gloucester, HMP Eastwood Park, HMP Bristol, HMP Sudbury and currently works as the Senior Operational Lead for the open estate. Prior to working in headquarters he was Governing Governor of Sudbury open prison for seven years. He has worked at every level of HM Prison and Probation Service and in every type of establishment. His main motivation is to help rehabilitate prisoners and give them the skills they need to lead a crime free life. Sudbury was particularly strong in this area with around 50,000 ROTL events per year helping prisoners build and embed protective factors such as accommodation, employment, children and families which are known to be key to successful rehabilitation. At Sudbury they would routinely have between 150 and 200 prisoners at work in the community each day, working in multiple industries matched to their skills, knowledge and qualifications. This gave them the best opportunity to lead crime free lives on release creating safer communities.

Dr Gary Goodley is a principal Forensic Psychologist working in prisons across the Midlands. He has over 16 years experience working in prisons, the last 10 of which have been spent based in open prisons. Gary recently completed a PhD evaluating the effectiveness of risk management protocols in open prisons.

Key references:

Andvig, E., Koffeld-Hamidane, S., Ausland, L. H., & Karlsson, B. (2021). Inmates’ perceptions and experiences of how they were prepared for release from a Norwegian open prison. Nordic journal of criminology, 22(2), 203-220.

Clark, D. A., Fisher, M. J., & McDougall, C. (1993). A new methodology for assessing the level of risk in incarcerated offenders. The British Journal of Criminology, 33(3), 436-448.

Goodley, G., & Pearson, D. (2023). Monitoring prisoners preparing for release: Who ‘fails’ in open prison conditions?. European Journal of Criminology, 14773708231183570.

Goodley, G., & Pearson, D. (2023). Risk management in open prisons: A critical analysis and research agenda. Probation Journal, 02645505231173683.

Mastrobuoni, G., & Terlizzese, D. (2022). Leave the door open? Prison conditions and recidivism. American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, 14(4), 200-233.

McDougall, C., Pearson, D. A., Willoughby, H., & Bowles, R. A. (2013). Evaluation of the ADViSOR project: Cross‐situational behaviour monitoring of high‐risk offenders in prison and the community. Legal and Criminological Psychology, 18(2), 205-228.

Statham, B. M., Winder, B., & Micklethwaite, D. (2021). Success within a UK open prison and surviving the ‘pains of freedom’. Psychology, Crime & Law, 27(8), 729-750.

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Next Episode

Brain Injuries | Prof Huw Williams Live at HMPPS National Psychology Conference 2023

Professor Huw Williams is a professor of Clinical Neuropsychology. He has pioneered research focusing on traumatic brain Injury in those involved in the criminal justice system, and neuro-rehabilitation and crime. He and colleagues have shown that a substantial number of people in contact with the law have traumatic brain Injuries. Findings have influenced screening and assessment for TBI nationally and internationally, contributing to changes in the UN Convention on Rights of the Child for enabling better support for those with neurodisability to lessen risk of criminalisation. He is a co-founder of the Criminal Justice and Acquired Brain Injury Group (CJAABIG) (Now ABI and Justice Group).

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