Risk-Need-Responsivity Research Articles

Applying the Risk–Need–Responsivity (RNR) Model to Transgender Women in the Criminal Justice System

Transgender women are at least twice as likely as cisgender people to be incarcerated in their lifetimes, and, in custody, they experience harassment, abuse, and denial of affirming healthcare. Despite several legal and policy changes intended to improve these conditions, there has been little discussion about the need for evidence-based rehabilitation with the population. This article examines the use of the risk–need–responsivity (RNR) model with transgender women in the criminal justice system and discusses how it can be beneficial for tailoring rehabilitation services to address the unique needs of the population, thereby improving opportunities for successful community reintegration.

Risk-contamination and Dilution: Advancing the RNR Model in Prison Settings

The Risk-Needs-Responsivity (RNR) model posits separating lower from higher-risk individuals to avoid “risk contamination.” In a prison setting, policies and restrictions lead to mixing different populations within a housing unit. While this may pose a threat, it may allow higher-risk individuals to gradually promote through security levels, reducing risk. We term this “risk dilution.” The current study compares the infraction behavior of individuals that are over-classified (housed higher than their risk) and those under-classified (housed lower than their risk). Using mixed-effect models with a large ( N = 52,000) sample of incarcerated men, findings demonstrate support for both contamination and dilution. Policy implications identify the impact of these two processes on overcrowded prisons and the consolidation of housing units post decarceration.

Selective Adaptation of the RNR Model in China’s Juvenile Criminal Justice System: Balancing Rehabilitation and Risk Management

The risk-need-responsivity (RNR) model is widely used to understand criminal behavior and guide interventions to reduce recidivism. However, its implementation in China’s juvenile justice system has not been extensively explored. This research critically examines China’s adaptation of the RNR model, noting differences from the original framework. While China emphasizes rehabilitation, its juvenile justice system prioritizes stability and risk prevention. By employing participant observation, interviews, and document analysis, this study suggests that China’s selective adaptation of the RNR model supports rehabilitation rhetoric in juvenile justice while maintaining the state’s role in risk management and promoting social stability.

Perspective: Clinical care of pedophilic individuals in Zurich, Switzerland.

Individuals with pedophilia are considered to have an elevated risk for child sexual abuse (CSA). Nevertheless, it is assumed that pedophilic sexual impulses can be controlled from acting out. To prevent CSA an outpatient treatment facility for people with pedophilia was founded in Zurich, Switzerland in 2021. The program focuses on the prevention of CSA and improvement of quality of life, incorporating empirically validated treatment principles, such as the Risk-Need-Responsivity (RNR) model and the Good Lives Model (GLM). Within the initial 24-month 142 individuals sought help, 46 individuals (mean age 36.0 ± 12.4 years) completed the assessment phase, two-thirds suffered from psychiatric comorbidities, and 67.4% reported sexual delinquency. The high drop-out rate was predominantly due to ongoing criminal proceedings, or other mental health conditions. Overall patients at this facility generally sought treatment voluntarily, leading to good treatment adherence, with severe self-harm being more prevalent than acute danger to others. A treatment approach focused solely on pedophilia is considered insufficient; psychiatric and psychosocial factors must also be addressed.

An updated evidence synthesis on the Risk-Need-Responsivity (RNR) model: Umbrella review and commentary

PurposeTo conduct an umbrella review of Risk-Need-Responsivity (RNR) principles by synthesizing and appraising the consistency and quality of the underlying evidence base of RNR. MethodsFollowing PRISMA guidelines, we searched three bibliographic databases, the Cochrane Library, and grey literature from 2002 to 2022 for systematic reviews and meta-analysis on RNR principles. We summarized effect sizes, including as odds ratios and Area Under the Curve (AUC) statistic. We evaluated the quality of review evidence by examining risk of bias, excess statistical significance, between-study heterogeneity, and calculated prediction intervals for reported effect sizes. ResultsWe identified 26 unique meta-anlayses that examined RNR principles. These meta-analyses indicate inconsistent statistical support for the individual components of RNR. For the risk principle, there were links with recidivism (OR = 1.6, 95% CI [1.1, 2.3]). For the need principle, although there were associations between adherence to intervention programs and recidivism, risk assessment tools reflecting this principle had low predictive accuracy (AUCs 0.62–0.64). The general and specific responsivity principles received some support. However, the overall quality of the evidence was poor as indicated by potential authorship bias, lack of transparency, substandard primary research, limited subgroup analyses, and conflation of prediction with causality. ConclusionThe prevalent poor quality evidence and identified biases suggests that higher quality research is needed to determine whether current RNR claims of being evidence-based are justified.

The Synergistic Effects of Risk-Principle Adherence in the Supervision and Treatment of Individuals Who Have Sexually Offended.

Prior literature highlights the effectiveness of the Risk-Need-Responsivity (RNR) risk principle when providing community supervision and treatment to general justice-involved individuals and special populations such as individuals convicted of a sexual offense. Individuals deemed high-risk, per risk assessment, should receive the most intensive levels of community supervision and treatment, while individuals classified as low risk should receive the lowest intensity. Research in support for the risk principle finds adherence decreased recidivism rates and increased probation compliance. The current study assesses the effects of adhering (or not) to the risk principle in supervision levels and treatment dosage on the compliance of individuals on probation for a sexual offense (N = 133). Overall, results support risk principle adherence for individuals, with increasing adherence levels associated with significantly more compliance, and non-adherence resulting in adverse outcomes. Implications for policy and practice in the supervision and treatment of individuals with a sexual offense are discussed.

Sustainability of Evidence-Based Practices: Risk-Need-Responsivity in Probation 7 Years Later

This quasi-experimental, pre-post study investigated the sustainability of risk-needs assessment (RNA) and the risk-need-responsivity (RNR) practices in five juvenile probation offices across two states 7 years after rigorous implementation. The study evaluated adherence to practices and facilitators of sustainability via interviews with leadership ( N = 10) and probation officers ( N = 84) and a seventh-year cohort of youth propensity score matched to a cohort from the first year of implementation ( n = 730 per state cohort). Probation officers in both states reported relatively high adherence to RNR-based practices, and one state significantly improved adherence to its RNA administration policies and the risk principle. Adherence to the risk principle in placement and service referral decisions regressed in the other state. Essential ingredients for sustainment included maintaining staff training and monitoring, evolving RNR practices through the adoption of complementary evidence-based practices, and having court personnel who enable best practices.

Finding an answer in time: Assessing change in needs scores on time to recidivism among justice-involved youth

PurposeWhile risk instruments are consistently used to aid classification and supervision decisions, needs assessments guide intervention efforts for individuals under supervision. At the core of the Risk-Needs-Responsivity (RNR) model and the General Personality and Cognitive Social Learning (GPCSL) theory, dynamic needs scoring allows agencies to identify change in needs over time. Yet, few studies have assessed the potential impact of changes among needs items. To overcome this limitation, the current study assesses how needs score change may influence recidivism propensity among youth. MethodsUsing multi-level frailty models, the current study examines how changes in youth needs assessment scores influence time-to-recidivism among a large (N = 42,922), multi-state sample of justice-involved youth assessed with the Modified Positive Achievement Change Tool (MPACT). ResultsFindings demonstrate that youth with increased needs scores and those that remained the same at reassessment had a greater propensity for recidivism, compared to those that decreased scores. ConclusionsPolicy implications identify the effectiveness of the MPACT in measuring youth change, its utility for case management, and the needs domains most associated with recidivism reductions.

Entrepreneurship and Criminal Justice Populations: A Social Cognitive Perspective.

A criminal record limits employment opportunities of those released from prison. Entrepreneurship, or starting one's own business venture, has been suggested as a way to overcome the employment barriers of a criminal record, given that many justice-involved persons have entrepreneurship experiences, often through illegal ventures. Sparse research has investigated how legal or illegal business experience translates to legal entrepreneurship attitudes. Using social cognitive career theory-career theory (SCCT), and concepts from the Risk Need Responsivity (RNR) model, the role of illegal and legal business exposure were investigated. Findings indicated that both legal and illegal business exposure had a positive influence on entrepreneurship goals through entrepreneurship self-efficacy and entrepreneurship outcome expectations. Legal experiences had a stronger influence. Criminal thinking, a significant risk factor for return to criminal behavior, was investigated in its role in entrepreneurship attitudes. Findings indicated that criminal thinking had an indirect effect on entrepreneurship goals through entrepreneurship self-efficacy.

Assessing Risk Factors for Victims of Violence in a Hospital-Based Violence Intervention Program

Introduction: Personal, behavioral, and environmental risk factors are correlated to varying degrees with each other and with the overall likelihood of violent reinjury. When used with fidelity, risk assessment instruments, including the violence reinjury risk assessment instrument (VRRAI), identify domains in which individuals present elevated risk levels to aid in matching services with needs. Less is known about the collinearity among risk factors for violently injured individuals admitted to hospitals. Collinearity between risk factors has ramifications for predictive modeling of violent reinjury risk. The objective of this study was to identify significantly correlated risk factors when the VRRAI was used by hospital-based violence intervention programs (HVIP) for clients. Materials and Methods: Victims of violent injury by modality of firearm, stabbing, and physical assault who were admitted to a level 1 trauma center at a single institution were voluntarily enrolled in a hospital-based violence intervention program (HVIP) between September 2020 and June 2022. Violence intervention specialists (VIS) completed the VRRAI within the first month of participant enrollment. The VRRAI is comprised of 29 binary indicators that may signal elevated risk of violent reinjury. Data from completed assessments were used to apply risk-need-responsivity (RNR) principles along with phi coefficients of key indicators to examine overlap and prevalence in the population. Results: A total of 98 participants were enrolled in the HVIP. The median age was 27 years old and 79 (80.6%) were male, while 66 (67.3%) were non-Hispanic Black or African American, 9 (9.2%) were non-Hispanic White, and 17 (17.3%) identified as Hispanic or Latino. Several statistically significant relationships existed between key risk indicators in the VRRAI. Importantly, a robust relationship was found between the two dynamic risk factors of having heavy connection with gangs and a perception of imminent threat of violence (φc = 0.57, p < 0.01). Conclusion: Data suggest that some variables could be consolidated or removed from the VRRAI to create an even shorter instrument that can be performed more rapidly in the clinical setting. The application of the RNR model illustrates a limited number of dynamic risk factors that could be immediately addressed as part of case management should be prioritized among the questions selected from the VRRAI for inquiry at the intake assessment.

The Risk-Need-Responsivity Model on Inmate Rehabilitation

The article examines the nature, causes, and implications of inmate rehabilitation in Nigeria by explaining the Risk-Need-Responsivity model. The study reviewed secondary qualitative data, mostly a literature review, and it reinforced and added to the existing body of knowledge on inmate rehabilitation worldwide, particularly in Nigeria. The article finds that there are causes of congestion in the custodial center, such as overuse of imprisonment, a slow judicial process, insufficient prison capacity, a lack of adequate police investigation and prosecution, resource and operational efficiency, and a delay in the administration of justice. The paper adopts Risk-Need-Responsivity (RNR) theory to outline the process of the significance of rehabilitation towards inmates. The model emphasizes assessing and treating inmates according to their ability and risk of re-offending. The research applied a case study that examined the causes of custodial center congestion and identified the implications on inmate rehabilitation in Nigeria. The paper revealed that the consequences of custodial center congestion are spreading infectious disease, breakdown of social control, poor custodial center conditions, access to rehabilitation programs, and too much cost to the State. The study also explained various correctional facilities provide rehabilitation programs based on the criminogenic needs of the inmate, such as counseling programs, adult education, vocational programs, sports and leisure activities, and religious activities.
 Keywords: Causes, Congestion, Implication, Inmate, Rehabilitation

Dynamic risk and differential impacts of probation: Examining age, race, and gender as responsivity factors.

Juvenile courts that apply the risk-need-responsivity (RNR) model should periodically reassess youths and observe reductions in risk. There is a gap in knowledge concerning the reliable implementation of the specific responsivity principle of the RNR model, which emphasizes considering youths' unique characteristics to support rehabilitation success. In the present study, we aimed to identify whether specific responsivity factors (i.e., age, gender, and race/ethnicity) and supervision experiences (i.e., time under supervision and participation in judicial programs) effect changes in risk scores. We anticipated that (a) time under supervision would be negatively associated with dynamic risk, (b) participation in judicial programs would be positively associated with dynamic risk, and (c) race/ethnicity (not age or gender) would moderate the relationship between supervision experiences and dynamic risk. The sample consisted of 360 youths who served probation in a midwestern court. We tested multilevel models to determine differential impacts of supervision experiences on dynamic risk across responsivity factors, controlling for initial risk scores and offense seriousness. Partially confirming our hypotheses, results showed that spending longer periods on probation and being referred to judicial programs were both associated with negative changes in risk scores (i.e., risk scores increased over time). There was no effect of age or gender; however, race/ethnicity predicted dynamic risk. The average change in risk score was 1.81 units lower for historically marginalized youths (b = -1.82, SE = 0.68, p = .01), and the magnitude of the effect was significantly driven by multiracial youths. As expected, race/ethnicity moderated the relationship between time on probation and changes in risk scores. Findings indicate that improper application of the specific responsivity principle of the RNR model may diminish desired rehabilitation outcomes. Closing this theory-to-practice gap would improve court supervision experiences for all youths. In future studies, researchers should continue investigating specific responsivity factors and the dynamic validity of risk assessment. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Development of an Evidence-based Violence Rehabilitation Program for Offenders With Intellectual Disability.

A review of the current literature on evidence-based violence prevention programs developed for individuals with an intellectual disability (ID) reveals a paucity of direct evidence for this population. In addition, the existing offence-specific programs are primarily grounded in adapted cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) programs designed for the mainstream offender population, which may not be suitable for offenders with co-morbid mental health and personality disorders. The current paper discusses the development of a violence rehabilitation program for offenders with an ID. The focus of the article is on the exploration of the empirically supported risk factors associated with violent offending and the incorporation of these dynamic risk factors into the program modules. A case study example was utilized to examine the process of VRP-ID and how the modules targeted the offenders' treatment needs. Responsivity issues are addressed by identifying cognitive difficulties experienced by this cohort and the implications for treatment. The Risk/Need/Responsivity (RNR) model and the good lives Model (GLM) are widely used offender rehabilitation models that can be considered the guiding principles in developing this program. Furthermore, it utilizes contemporary therapeutic frameworks such as motivational interviewing (MI), cognitive behavior therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), and GLM reconceptualization and skills. The program is grounded in trauma-informed principles, which acknowledge this client group's high prevalence of victimization.

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder and Risk-Need-Responsivity Model: A guide for criminal justice and forensic mental health professionals.

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is an umbrella term used to describe a range of significant neurodevelopmental, brain-based disorders and impairments that result from prenatal alcohol exposure. FASD is a high prevalence but underdiagnosed group of disorders affecting between 17 and 36% of individuals in criminal justice settings. Despite being a high-impact disorder associated with lifelong impairments with a significant need for services and interventions, little research has been completed on how to best support individuals with these conditions in criminal justice settings. This article proposes a renewed focus on applying and adapting the Risk-Need-Responsivity (RNR) approach to individuals with FASD in criminal justice settings. This will assist in better determining the needs and interventions likely to effect change and reduce recidivism for this prominent criminal justice-based population. The RNR approach has been used with multiple corrections populations to determine the need and most appropriate interventions, as well as how to best allocate scarce resources. As the prevalence of FASD becomes better understood and recognized, evidence-based approaches to addressing this specific sub-population are necessary to effect change and reduce recidivism and ongoing involvement in the criminal justice system.

Are risk-need-responsivity principles golden? A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials of community correction programs.

Using meta-analysis to determine the effect size of the recidivism rate of participants in community correction programs that are conducted entirely in community settings. Following the Preferred Reported Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA), 25 qualified studies contributed 35 independent effect sizes. Full participation in a program significantly reduced the recidivism rate. Participant age was a significant moderator of heterogeneity. Those aged over 18 have lower recidivism rates. Interventions that fully follow the Risk-Need-Responsivity (RNR) design principles achieved similar results to those that did not. Recidivism rates increase more than 12months after the program ends. The effectiveness of community correctional programs varies depending on the participant's age. The RNR principles are not golden. The above factors should be carefully considered when conducting intervention design in the future. Results should be interpreted with caution due to the literature's high heterogeneity and low quality. The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11292-022-09550-w.

Training community supervision officers in the risk-need-responsivity model of offender rehabilitation: a review and implications

The premier paradigm of offender rehabilitation is the Risk-Need-Responsivity (RNR) model and several training programs for community corrections officers to better apply the RNR principles have been developed. This article summarizes and critiques three major training models: STICS, EPICS, and STARR. Furthermore, lessons are drawn from the research to guide further improvements in the training of community correctional staff. The community supervision of persons in conflict with the law is one of the most widely used correctional sanctions in North America and yet, its effectiveness in reducing recidivism is questionable. The review of training programs that capitalize on the RNR model shows that community supervision can lead to changes in officer behavior and reduced recidivism. However, to achieve promising results modifications to the training and to the agencies that adopt such training programs are necessary.

A review and comparative analysis of the risk-needs-responsivity, good lives, and recovery models in forensic psychiatric treatment.

Forensic mental health care primarily focuses on aspects of safety. Treatment is involuntary, and personal rights are highly restricted. Both direct and indirect coercion and significant power imbalances can impede not only the psychological state of inpatients but also their treatment motivation and the therapeutic process in general. However, successful treatment is essential to enable patients to regain their freedom. Therefore, the question arises whether and how health professionals, without disregarding the potential risks, can enable forensic psychiatric patients to experience meaningfulness and self-efficacy in their lives. In offender rehabilitation, the Risk-Need-Responsivity (RNR) model and Good Lives Model (GLM) are widely established theories. The RNR model focuses not only on the risk of recidivism but also on those needs of a person that provoke or prevent criminal behavior and the individual's ability to respond to various kinds of interventions. In contrast, the GLM aims to reduce the risk of re-offending by enabling an individual to live a "good life," i.e., a meaningful and fulfilling life. Originally developed in correctional services, i.e., for offenders without severe mental disorders, both the RNR model and the GLM have also been tested in forensic psychiatric treatment contexts. The Recovery Model is based on the concept of personal recovery in mental health care and is understood as the development of a sense of purpose and mastery in one's own life during the process of coping with the sequelae of a mental disorder. It is a central element of rehabilitation in general, but is also being increasingly applied in forensic psychiatric treatment settings. This review aims to compare the central concepts of the three models, in particular regarding personal development, and the current evidence for their efficacy in mentally disordered offenders.

A multimodal approach to reduce attrition, recidivism, and denial in abuser intervention programs

This study presents findings from a community-based organization (CBO) intimate partner abuser intervention pilot project. The project demonstrated outcomes for high program retention, low recidivism for new domestic-violence arrests, and discernible cognitive change in reductions of denial and increased acceptance of personal responsibility for acts of interpersonal abuse. Thirty-two participants of the cohort (N = 47) finished the 52-week program. Thirty-months post-intake revealed one program completer was arrested for new domestic violence charges. During that same time frame, five of the fifteen non-completers were rearrested for new domestic violence charges. The program used a 52-session multimodal curriculum designed with evidence-based clinical interventions, adult learning strategies, and Risk/Needs/Responsivity (RNR) principles. The CBO received funding from a private Christian foundation to provide the classes free of charge to all participants who were either voluntary (N = 2) or mandated (N = 45). A repeated measurement design evaluated participant’s cognitive changes and acceptance of personal responsibility at intake and 14-weeks after starting the program. Both victim and participant self-assessments of perceived cognitive change were obtained during and after program completion.

Assessing the reliability and validity of the Risk-Need-Responsivity (RNR) program tool

BackgroundFidelity assessment tools can assess whether a program embraces a core set of principles and performs well. A quality fidelity tool with valid scales can be a feedback loop to identify areas that need further work to improve the program. Using data collected from 1816 correctional and reentry programs in the United States in the construction sample and 761 programs in the confirmation sample, this study examined the internal consistency of the Risk-Need-Responsivity (RNR) Program Tool, an online resource to capture information about structural features of a program.ResultsThe study reports on reliability statistics and factor analyses to highlight individual subscales. Six scales emerged and had acceptable to excellent levels of internal consistency. These scales are staffing, reward-and-sanction, clinical standards for programs, coaching, program duration, and risk-need assessment.ConclusionsThis article discusses fidelity scales from the RNR Program Tool and provides guidance on the importance of tool development processes to ensure accurate, valid, and reliable scales. The purpose of the RNR Program Tool is to create a modern, online tool integrating both the empirical (research) literature on effective practices and clinical standards on quality programming. This process minimizes the need for consultants by giving program administrators the ability to gather information on their programs, score them, and receive instant and targeted feedback with recommendations for improvement to assess their programs against empirical standards in the field. Furthermore, it provides a standardized tool that administrators can use to examine what type of individuals fare better in their programs. The provided targeted feedback can give the programs the ability to seek technical assistance or guidance in specific areas that can strategically strengthen their program.

Interpersonal communication competence and the responsivity principle among inmates: implications for institutional misconduct

Inmate misconduct threatens two critically important functions of prison life: offender rehabilitation and facility safety. While many offender change programs focus on empathy development as a tool for reducing inmate misconduct, few studies elucidate how an inmate’s communication competence plays a role in the empathy-misconduct relationship. Drawing upon the Risk-Needs-Responsivity (RNR) framework, we conduct a multi-site investigation of prisons in a US state to assess the association between inmates’ self-assessed levels of interpersonal communication competence (ICC) and the incidence of inmate misconduct, net of controls and demographics. Results reveal higher levels of interpersonal communication competence are related to fewer major behavioral infractions but have no observed relationship with minor infractions while incarcerated. Empathy measures had no effect on either type of infraction. Theory and policy implications of our findings for correctional practice are discussed.