Rethinking the assessment of female offenders

Caulfield, L.S (2010) 'Rethinking the assessment of female offenders.' The Howard Journal of Criminal Justice, 49 (4). pp. 315-327.

Abstract

This article provides a critical examination of the applicability of need and risk assessments to female offenders. Recent research has suggested that ‘gender-informed’ measures are likely to be a more valid tool than existing methods when classifying offender need and risk. The author suggests that a serious evaluation of how we assess the need and risk of women incarcerated in England and Wales is needed, with focus on the criminogenic needs of women, the context of their lives, and their pathways into crime. While an entirely new method of assessment focused on women may be required, it seems equally likely that a more simple ‘reweighting’ of existing methods such as the Offender Assessment System (OASys) may be sufficient – focused on both gender-mutual and female-specific needs.

Item Type:	Article
Keywords:	need and risk assessment;female offender;Offender Assessment System (OASys)
Divisions:	School of Sciences
Date Deposited:	06 Feb 2013 09:37
Last Modified:	15 Aug 2021 09:33
ISSN:	0265-5527
URI / Page ID:	https://researchspace.bathspa.ac.uk/id/eprint/1037

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