Overview:

Under this initiative, OJJDP is expanding research to better understand the effective implementation of risk and needs assessment tools in the juvenile justice system and the impact of their use on case processing and youth outcomes. OJJDP works with communities across the country to minimize the formal involvement of youth who pose a low risk to public safety in the juvenile justice system and ensure that when necessary, system responses hold youth accountable in a manner that is fair, responsive to their individualized needs, and developmentally appropriate. Understanding how effective assessment tools are and how they are best implemented and used across the juvenile justice system forms the foundation for identifying and delivering appropriate supervision and services to justice-involved youth.

Goals and Objectives:

In this study, the University of Cincinnati is examining the implementation practices within three states (Arizona, Indiana, and Ohio) that are implementing the same risk and needs assessment tools-the Ohio Youth Assessment System (OYAS)-and assessing the impact on system and youth-level outcomes, including recidivism.

The study is designed to achieve the following objectives:

• Describe risk and needs assessment tool use and implementation at various decisionmaking points in the juvenile justice system across states and develop recommendations for best practices concerning training, monitoring, and use.
• Assess court and programming outcomes based on varying practices in assessment tool use and implementation.
• Evaluate how recidivism changes with the implementation of assessment tools in the juvenile justice system.
• Evaluate both justice-related and other relevant youth outcomes associated with decision-making based on the use, monitoring, and implementation of assessment tools.

Milestones:

The project is currently collecting data through a variety of methods:

• Completing interviews, site visits, and web-based surveys with juvenile justice personnel across jurisdictions and agencies in Arizona, Indiana, and Ohio regarding policies and practices in administering assessments.
• Extracting data from official records on youth assessments, case processing, and outcomes.
• Administering follow-up surveys with a subsample of youth after case disposition and/or release across the three study states.

Contact Information:

Benjamin Adams, Social Science Analyst
Benjamin.Adams@usdoj.gov | 202-616-3687

Christopher Sullivan, Associate Professor
sullivc6@ucmail.uc.edu | 513-556-3851
School of Criminal Justice, University of Cincinnati