Lost your Password?
Click Here
Don't have an account?
Register Here
Welcome to the EuroPris Knowledge Management System. The table below shows questions and responses from European National Agencies. Select a question for more information or use the filters on the left to narrow down questions based on Agency or Category.
Want to ask a question? Please read our guidance information found here: Submitting a KMS Question
← Back Search KMSThis content is only available to registered members of EuroPris.
Introduction: The Swedish Prison and Probation Service is currently investigating different possibilities for short-term, acute and/or imminent risk assessment possibilities in their prisons. To that regard, the SPPS would like to kindly ask EuroPris members to provide their information on how they deal with such risk assessments in their respective jurisdictions.
yes
If yes, please explain?There are available and systematic instruments, such as SVR-20 (Sexual Violence Risk), currently implemented in interventions focused on sexual offenders. There are also specific instruments aimed at violent and extremist offenders, such as the spanish risk assessment instrument, which is being reviewed at the momento to improve it from a methodological standpoint.
if yes, is this tool evaluated or validated?At the moment, the spanish risk assessment instrument aimed at violent and extremist offenders is being reviewed, in order to develop a validated instrument. The original one was delivered in 2018 for the first time, and most of its indicators and scoring system have been changed to provide a better and structured tool.
This content is only available to registered members of EuroPris.
yes
If yes, please explain?Based on the results of the initial psychological and risk assessments and other relevant data, the professionals fill in a structured form in which they specify and briefly describe the following possible internal risks: a) escape from prison; b) violent behaviour in prison; c) sexual violence in prison; d) other criminal behaviour while serving a custodial sentence; e) systematic or aggressive violation of the regime; f) radicalization; g) suicidal risk.
if yes, is this tool evaluated or validated?The tool has not been evaluated or validated yet. We‘ve just started using it.
no
If yes, please explain?In the Latvian Prison Administration, the current risk and needs assessment includes questions on behavioural attitudes and a history of violence, as well as comments if additional essential issues are observed. The risk assessment for short-term, acute or imminent risk is not carried out by means of a structured or systematic scheme or tool is not carried out. The Violence Risk Scale (VRS) tool is introduced to assess the risk of violence. In addition, the security department works to prevent committing or organizing criminal offenses in prisons.
if yes, is this tool evaluated or validated?N/A
yes
If yes, please explain?At the beginning of serving a prison sentence, a structured procedure for assessing the risk of criminal recovery, assessment of short-term and immediate risks, as well as the needs of prisoners is carried out, but standardized measuring instruments intended for risk assessment are not used as one of the tools - neither licensed nor self-made. In the Diagnostic Center in Zagreb, the behavior of prisoners in the Department is observed, each member of the expert team applies diagnostic procedures in accordance with the standards of their profession (analysis of received documentation, semi-structured diagnostic interviews, application of standardized psychological instruments, diagnostic procedures within the health service, etc.). All collected data and assessments are integrated, on the basis of which the expert team of the Center prepares reports with a proposal of actions for each prisoner.
if yes, is this tool evaluated or validated?No.
This content is only available to registered members of EuroPris.
no
If yes, please explain?SPS ahs interpreted this question in the context of offender behaviour programmes. Generic Programmes Assessment SPS has set a vision for being a leader in reducing re-offending. Within the SPS vision there is an emphasis placed on the key contribution that Offending Behaviour Programmes play in reducing crime and making Scotland a safer place. Offending Behaviour Programmes directly target the factors that influence offending behaviour and provide prisoners with the opportunity to take responsibility for their behaviour and prepare for their release. As a result, they also increase the likelihood for public protection. Along with its partners in the private sector, the SPS offers a wide range of Offending Behaviour Programmes. The programmes vary in terms of the general type of offending behaviour they are designed to address, or the criminogenic needs they target. The ‘What Works’ literature emphasises the importance of ensuring that places on programmes are allocated to those offenders who meet the relevant selection criteria (Andrews, Bonta & Wormith, 2007). It is essential that systems are in place to comprehensively assess the needs of the prisoners in our custody and offer them those opportunities that are most likely to target those needs and consequently reduce the likelihood of them reoffending in the future. Historically, SPS took a single assessment approach, whereby each individual would be assessed for one programme at a time. The assessment process tended to focus more on whether the prisoner was suitable for the programme rather than whether the programme was suitable for the prisoner. Frequently prisoners may have been assessed on a number of occasions for different programmes, and found to be suitable for more than one intervention. Because the assessments were conducted on different occasions, however, it was often difficult to sequence programmes appropriately to have the biggest impact on their criminogenic needs. In effect, the single assessments approach made it more difficult to take a comprehensive and co-ordinated approach to intervention planning for the individual. The current Generic Programmes Assessment attempts to remedy some of the problems with the single assessments approach outlined above. By completing one in-depth assessment exploring general programmes needs instead of several shorter assessments exploring the need for specific programmes, the assessor collates all the information required to devise a sequenced interventions plan for the prisoner in question. Not only does this approach support greater efficacy in meeting the individual’s needs, but it also requires less resources in terms of staff time. There are a number of situations where a prisoner’s programmes needs may be reviewed: • If new information comes to light, or if the prisoner’s behaviour or circumstances change, then their programmes needs may also change. This would particularly include any adverse incident, such as a downgrade or a Governor’s report for a serious transgression, such as violent conduct. • When a prisoner has completed a programme, their case would be returned to the board to determine how well he met the aims of the programme and identify any outstanding treatment needs. The original intervention plan would be reviewed and checked for whether it remains appropriately targeted and if not, it would be revised to accommodate any changes in his risk/need profile. Information that should be recorded would include an overview of: a. Distance travelled and skills that the prisoner has made particularly good progress with; b. Ongoing high risk situations and particularly those the prisoner might encounter in less secure conditions, in the community or on home leave; c. Skills that the prisoner will need to practice further to help them manage these high risk situations; d. Early warning signs that staff working with the prisoner might find useful, and how staff can support the prisoner to practice skills and manage difficult situations.
if yes, is this tool evaluated or validated?This content is only available to registered members of EuroPris.
yes
If yes, please explain?Unfortunately we do not have any structured or systematic scheme or tool for assessing short-term, acute or imminent risk in prison settings. Our assessment at the beginning of a prison sentence is based on evaluation of different areas of life of a prisoner and risks and needs and strengths that are to be addressed during the prison sentence. For every prisoner we use ARAT (Actuarial Risk Assessment Tool) that is based on SIR-R1 (M.Nafekh and I. Motiuk 2002), but this assesses the risk of reoffending after the prison sentence. For the risk assessment of violent behaviour we use MAI-questionnaire (Multidimensional Anger Inventory, Siegel 1986) which is used to evaluate a need for intervention such as Anger Management Programme during the prison sentence. HCR-20- evaluation (K.S. Douglas, S.D. Hart, C.D. Webster and H. Belfrage 2013) is being used for example for purposes of assessing safe release, transferring prisoners from higher security to lower security facilities or evaluating the risk during imprisonment or care and managing the risk of violent behaviour in the future. As a gender-sensitive assessment tool for violent behaviour of women The Female Additional Manual (FAM) has supplemented and added value to the HCR-20 for assessing the risk of violent behaviour by women.
if yes, is this tool evaluated or validated?The tools mentioned above are evidence-based and evaluated tools of assessment.
This content is only available to registered members of EuroPris.
This content is only available to registered members of EuroPris.
This content is only available to registered members of EuroPris.