High-Risk Violent Prisoners’ Patterns of Change on Parole on the DRAOR’s Dynamic Risk and Protective Factors

Abstract

Few studies have examined change after treatment completion; such investigations can enhance our understanding of how a rehabilitative intervention leads to reduced recidivism. The current study uses growth curve modeling to investigate change in dynamic risk factors in the community, following two samples of high-risk violent men for up to 12 months on parole. While in prison, one sample had completed intensive psychological treatment, whereas the other completed no programs or briefer programs. As expected, based on Dynamic Risk Assessment for Offender Re-Entry (DRAOR) scores, intensive program completers entered the community with higher protective and lower stable and acute dynamic factors, and showed less variability on acute risk factors, as did all of those with better initial scores. But the two samples improved at a similar rate over the course of parole. Those with initially poorer scores changed less on parole except for protective factors; those with stronger initial protective scores showed less change.