CRJ331 Community Corrections, Unit 3 Assignment: Level of Service Inventory, Post University

                                                    Level of Service Inventory:  

How This Tool Helps to Assess Offenders and Their Risks 

 

Jackie Phillips 

Criminology, Post University  

CRJ331 – Community Corrections  

Unit 3 Assignment: Level of Service Inventory 

Professor Terri Johnson 

Due Date: 11:59 pm EST Sunday of Unit 3 

 

In this assignment you will examine the Level of Service Inventory as a tool in the assessment of criminological needs.  

Explain what “Level of Service Inventory” means.  

For ages 16 and older, the LSI-R predicts parole outcome, success in correctional halfway houses, institutional misconducts, and recidivism. The LSI-R measures 54 risk and need factors across many criminogenic domains like substance abuse, education, family, etc. The tool is designed for people aged 16 and older, and the items are based on requirements in each state. The LSI-R's predictive validity has been demonstrated, but little attention has been paid to how staff training and agency experience may affect the tool's validity. 

“The LSI–R instrument contains the following scales, with the number of items in each listed in parentheses. 

• Criminal History (10) 
• Education/Employment (10) 
• Financial (2) 
• Family/Marital (4) 
• Accommodation (3) 
• Leisure/Recreation (2) 
• Companions (5) 
• Alcohol/Drug Problems (9) 
• Emotional/Personal (5) 
• Attitudes/Orientation (4)” 

(No author given, 2024) 

 

What is the importance of Level of Service Inventory when assessing the criminogenic needs of offenders when developing a case plan to reduce the rates of recidivism?  

“More than 2,000 drug courts in the United States provide supervision and substance-abuse treatment to thousands of offenders. Yet the treatment continuum from assessment to aftercare is underexplored. The effectiveness of the Level of Service Inventory-Revised (LSI-R) as a risk assessment tool is well established. However, fewer studies have considered its use in guiding treatment strategies.” (Guastaferro, W., 2011) 

 

“Why Use Standardized Risk/Needs Assessments?  

The assessment tools used to evaluate youth should be evidence based, meaning that research indicates that the instrument has certain established measurement properties, the most important of which are adequate validity and reliability. A standardized, evidence-based assessment that uses objective, validated measurement instruments allows the delinquency system to provide structure and consistency to the decision-making process and helps to ensure that all youth who enter the system are processed in an equitable fashion. Use of these instruments also helps in determining where to target resources, allowing systems to focus the most intensive services on higher-risk youth and helping to ensure that youth are receiving the most appropriate services to address their individual needs and risks. The use of a standardized risk/needs assessment instrument is one of eight principles of evidence based practices that together have been shown to reduce the likelihood of recidivism.4 Please see the AOC Briefing on juvenile assessments for a more in-depth discussion of validity, reliability, and other factors to consider when selecting an appropriate assessment instrument.” (No author given, 2011) 

 

References 

Guastaferro, W., 2011, National Library of Medicine, Using the level of Service Inventory-Revised to improve assessment and treatment in drug court, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21693454/ 

 

No author given, 2011, Administrative Office of the Courts, Juvenile Risk and Needs Screenings and Assessments, https://www.courts.ca.gov/documents/AOCBrief_RiskAndNeedsAssessement_rev011012.pdf 

 

No author given, 2024, Assessments.com, LSI-R Level of Service Inventory-Revised, https://www.assessments.com/purchase/detail.asp?SKU=5212