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
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.
Risk and needs tools generate total objective scores. Depending on the tool, the individual may be asked questions based on a specific topic, referred to as subcomponents. Each subcomponent is given its own score based off the tool's scoring criteria. While the total score is generally used to evaluate risk of re-offending and to make housing placements, subcomponent scores are used to drill down on certain areas that may be more applicable to one individual over another and assist in securing the right program placement, identifying substance use disorders, relationship needs, etc. For a complete list of the subcomponents used in the tools, please visit the FAQ.
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. Each of these agencies utilizes a different tool to conduct risk and needs assessments. For more information on the tools and generated scores, please see the FAQ.
The information displayed aggregates data from several management systems utilized by Commonwealth criminal justice agencies, including:
- the Department of Correction’s (DOC) Inmate Management System (IMS);
- the County Sheriffs’ 11 independent Offender Management Systems (OMS);
- Hampden County’s Jail Management System (JMS);
- the Parole Board’s Record Management System (SPIRIT II); and
- the Massachusetts Trial Court MassCourts system.
The Bristol County Sheriff’s Office began collecting this data electronically in January 2026 and will be available for publication later in 2026.
The dashboards below 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 custodial agencies, only the sentenced population is displayed. The dashboards show overall risk and needs assessment ratings along with the results of the subcomponent measures for MA DOC, Parole, Probation, and Hampden County. Due to current limitations in the OMS software, subcomponent results are not available for the remaining agencies. Future updates will allow for electronic subcomponent capture and reporting.
Data is available for DOC, Parole, Probation, and Hampden County Sheriff’s Office from January 1, 2020, through the present and for all other agencies from January 1, 2026, through the present.
You can also download the data through a link at the bottom of each 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