Risk Assessment and Violent Recidivism Risk Management in Convicts from Argentina

Abstract

In the year 2001, the Risk Assessment Pilot Program was implemented in Argentina with the aims of establishing a systematic manner of assessing risk for violent recidivism in conditional release candidates and contributing to the design of intervention programs that help to reduce the criminal recidivism rate. The baseline assessment showed that conditional release candidates had a high-risk profile: 72.5% had severe or moderate substance abuse problems; 62% had failed in previous probation, conditional release or discharge from a mental institution; 85% had serious or moderate employment problems before incarceration. Individuals who were substance abusers were incorporated to the Drug Abuse Biochemical Control Program. Variations in dynamic factors were assessed with conditionally released subjects. Some encouraging results were obtained through December 2003 and their initial impact on judicial and penitentiary institutions is already seen.

Citation

Folino, J.O. (2005), "Risk Assessment and Violent Recidivism Risk Management in Convicts from Argentina", Hartwell, S.W. (Ed.) The Organizational Response to Persons with Mental Illness Involved with the Criminal Justice System (Research in Social Problems and Public Policy, Vol. 12), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 75-88. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0196-1152(05)12004-3