Project Origins:
The Council of State Governments (CSG) Justice Center, in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance, is implementing the Risk and Needs Assessment Guidelines Project. The project will bring together tool developers, practitioners, policymakers, national criminal justice organizations, and other stakeholders to establish guidance for improving the accuracy, fairness, and transparency of post-adjudication risk and needs assessment tools. This project will establish the Risk and Needs Assessment Guidelines Project Working Group, which will meet virtually for a period of six months. The working group will meet a critical need in the field by establishing guidelines for the development, selection, validation, revalidation, and implementation of post-adjudication risk and needs assessment tools. Through this project, the CSG Justice Center, with assistance from an expert consultant and working group participants, aims to develop two briefs detailing guideline recommendations for (1) traditional risk assessment models, and (2) newer machine-learning models.
Monthly Status:
In March, CSG Justice Center staff laid the foundations for the Risk Assessment Guidelines Project through discussion with an expert consultant and other key working group participants. Discussions included an overview of the current status of the field and recently published materials on the topic of risk assessment. CSG Justice Center staff led initial discussions about what the risk assessment principles are and the development of those principles. CSG Justice Center staff planned how to best structure the working group meetings and how to form two subgroups—one focused on traditional risk assessment models and the other focused on machine-learning models. CSG Justice Center staff, along with the consultant, finalized the working group participant list and sent out invitations, drafted talking points and items for group facilitation, developed and reviewed project material, and developed the agenda for the first virtual meeting.
On March 30, CSG Justice Center staff hosted the first in a series of virtual web meetings with the Risk Assessment Guidelines Working Group, which is composed of researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and other stakeholders. The CSG Justice Center will host a series of 4–5 90-minute virtual working group meetings over the next 6 months in conjunction with BJA.
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Milestones are an element, activity, work product, or key task associated with completing the TTA (e.g. kick-off meeting, collect data from stake holders, deliver initial data analysis).
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• 3/3 – Call with consultant to discuss the current status of the field and recently published materials on the topic of risk assessment.
• 3/4 – Call with working group participant to discuss risk assessment principles and the development of those principles.
• 3/5 – Call with working group participant to discuss risk assessment principles and the development of those principles.
• 3/17 – Call with consultant to discuss how to best structure the working group meetings.
• 3/24 – Call with working group participant to discuss risk assessment principles and the development of those principles.
• 3/25 – Call with consultant to discuss project material review and a preliminary agenda and the formation of the two working group subgroups.
• 3/27 – Call with consultant to prepare discussion points for the project and meeting facilitation.
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