Intimate Partner Violence: The Current Use of Risk Assessments in Sentencing Offenders

AbstractRisk assessment instruments and procedures are increasingly being used by justice system officials to provide better protection for victims, more appropriate sanctions and treatment for offenders, and better allocation of scarce resources, from prosecutor time to prison beds. A survey of courts and court-related agencies found that a number of risk assessment instruments are currently used in decisions about charging, pretrial release, probation, treatment, and incarceration of intimate partner offenders. Information on the content, scoring, psychometrics, administration, and use in sentencing of risk assessment instruments is provided. Justice officials and judges find the assessment results helpful in making decisions about sentencing and the allocation of scarce resources, and there is anecdotal information of their value in enhancing victim safety. Yet solid evidence on the reliability, validity, and predictive accuracy of danger-ousness assessments is scarce, and legal and ethical issues rema...