Introduction
The Criminal Justice Reform Act (CJR) requires the establishment of data collection and reporting standards for all Massachusetts criminal justice agencies, including data on risk and needs assessment scores. Data collection and reporting standards for criminal justice agencies were established by 501 CMR 18. In compliance with these standards, criminal justice agencies are required to report risk and needs assessment scores to the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security (EOPSS) to be analyzed and published in Cross-Tracking dashboards.
About the Information Displayed Below
Several criminal justice agencies use risk and needs assessment tools unique to their agencies' needs. Conducting risk and needs assessments is integral to the overall mission of custodial and community supervision agencies to enhance public safety, promote rehabilitation, and allocate resources effectively. Assessments help prioritize services and interventions based on individual risks and needs, ensuring that resources are used effectively to reduce recidivism and promote positive outcomes.
These assessments allow criminal justice agency staff to identify those offenders who might be at a higher risk of reoffending and tailor supervision and programming. Risk and needs assessment tools generate objective scores which provide insights into an offender’s specific needs, such as substance use treatment, mental health services, educational programs, or vocational training. Tailoring program placements based on these assessments increases the likelihood of successful reintegration into society upon release and success in the community while under supervision.
It is important to note that these structured and validated instruments are grounded in evidence-based research that ensures that custodial and supervision decisions are based on objective measures. For more information on the tools and generated scores, please see the FAQ.
This dashboard presents risk and needs assessment scores from three (3) criminal justice agencies:
- The Massachusetts Parole Board (Parole),
- The Massachusetts Probation Service (Probation), and
- The Massachusetts Department of Correction (DOC).
Each of these three (3) agencies utilizes a different tool to conduct risk and needs assessments, as discussed in the FAQ. Because of this, the risk and needs assessment dashboards will be limited to these three agencies at this stage and will gradually expand to include more criminal justice agencies, including sheriffs’ offices.
The risk and needs dashboards show the total population for each agency as well as the assessed population (the population that has received a risk and needs assessment score). For each agency, the overall scores and the results of each sub-component of the assessments are shown. For more information on the risk and needs assessment tools and sub-components of the tools please see the FAQ. You can also download the data through a link at the bottom of the page. For all dashboards, users can filter by agency, sex, age group, race, ethnicity, and location.
For more information about the dashboard, you can access FAQs here.
For any other questions, please write to CJ360help@mass.gov
Offender Population vs Assessed Offender Population Dashboard
Risk and need assessments may not be conducted for every offender under the supervision of a custodial or community supervision agency. Examples of offenders for whom risk and need assessments may not be available include:
- Offenders on Pre-Trial status
- Offenders recently sentenced to a custodial or community supervision placement
- Offenders with short custodial sentences (e.g. under 30 days)
- Offenders with a first-degree life sentence
- Offenders who refuse or are unable to participate due to medical reasons
- Offenders placed on Administrative, Driving Under the Influence of Liquor, Pre-Trial Probation or Pre-Trial Conditions of Release
- If an alternative risk assessment evaluation is conducted by an expert chosen by the attorney representing the client
Link to the map showing areas covered under each Parole Regional Field Office location 1 to 9: https://www.mass.gov/doc/regional-field-offices-map-0/download
Total Risk Scores Dashboard
Link to the map showing areas covered under each Parole Regional Field Office location 1 to 9: https://www.mass.gov/doc/regional-field-offices-map-0/download
Criminogenic Subcomponents Dashboard
Link to the map showing areas covered under each Parole Regional Field Office location 1 to 9: https://www.mass.gov/doc/regional-field-offices-map-0/download
Downloads
Revision History
Details | Date |
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Published On | 12/20/2024 |
Related
- Commonwealth of Massachusetts | Criminal Justice Cross-Tracking System
- Cross-Tracking Dashboard Frequently Asked Questions
- 501 CMR 18.00: Data collection and reporting standards for criminal justice agencies
- Justice Reinvestment Policy Oversight Board
- Juvenile Justice Policy and Data Board (JJPDB) Juvenile Data