Abstract
Risk assessment inventories play a significant role in predicting recidivism risk and informing parole and community supervision orders. This article examines the effectiveness of the Level of Service/Case Management Inventory (LS/CMI) in a study of Australian offenders completing community-based sentences. The study aimed to identify the internal reliability and the factor structure of the LS/CMI. The results indicated that the LS/CMI total score achieved excellent internal reliability. There is concern regarding the capacity for the subscales to function independently. A factor analysis determined a two-factor solution at a subscale level, whereas a more diverse factor solution was obtained at an item level. The LS/CMI was determined to be predictive of recidivism, but this was a weak effect. The results indicate that the LS/CMI as it is currently used in this population may not be an appropriate assessment tool, requiring further research before an international risk assessment is adopted in Australian jurisdictions.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 1089-1109 |
Number of pages | 21 |
Journal | Criminal Justice and Behavior |
Volume | 42 |
Issue number | 11 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2015 |