Publications
Utility and Validity of the Youth Level of Service/Case Management Inventory (YLS/CMI) for Young Offenders in Western Australia
Abstract
This thesis examines the validity and utility of the Youth Level of Service/Case Management Inventory general risk assessment tool for youth offenders in Western Australia. The measure was found to be a valid and reliable predictor of general recidivism. A shortened measure improved predictive validity for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth. The findings contribute to building an empirical base for best practice in risk assessment and risk management with West Australian youth offenders.
Overrepresentation of Young Indigenous Offenders: Differences in Criminogenic Risk/Needs and Implications for Practice
Abstract
Indigenous youth are overrepresented in the Australian criminal justice system, yet little is known about how they differ from non-Indigenous youth in terms of criminogenic risk and need profiles in relation to reoffending. The aim of the study was to examine the differences between Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth in terms of criminogenic risk and need profiles. This paper expands on findings of our previous study. and present the results of two analyses. The first is a comparative analysis of the differences in criminogenic risk and need factors in a sample of 4,653 youth. Results raise questions about how Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth differ on type of criminogenic needs and how risk/needs are defined in an Indigenous context. The second analysis examines the predictive validity of a shortened version of the YLS/CMI in a subsample of 921 youth. Results show that a specific combination of five items for Indigenous youth corresponds to an improvement in AUC scores from c. = 0.65 for the full version to c. = 0.73. For non-Indigenous youth, the selected set of five items corresponds to an improvement in AUC scores from c. = 0.66 for the full version of the YLS/CMI to c. = 0.73. Implications of these findings for research, policy, and reducing Indigenous overrepresentation are discussed.
Validation of the YLS/CMI on an Australian Juvenile Offending Population
Abstract
There is a wealth of research that shows juvenile justice systems that utilize structured and validated assessment tools, such as the YLS/CMI, are far more effective at reducing rates of recidivism than those who do not. In line with this research, the Department of Justice (DoJ) in Western Australia adopted the YLS/CMI as the standard risk assessment tool for evaluating the criminogenic risk and needs of youth entering the justice system. While there is evidence supporting the utility of the YLS/CMI in predicting recidivism, there is little research demonstrating its effectiveness in Australian juvenile populations and no such research in a West Australian population. There is also a lack of research on the utility of the tool with young Indigenous offenders, which is particularly concerning given the significant overrepresentation of Indigenous people in the Australian criminal justice system. Our study was the first to examine the reliability and predictive validity of the YLS/CMI on a sample of West Australian juvenile offenders. In this paper, we present the results of two analyses. The first examines the properties of the YLS/CMI in a cohort of 4,653 juvenile offenders in Western Australia, including factor structure, internal consistency, and differences between male and female youth and between Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth. Consistent with our hypotheses, the tool demonstrated excellent internal consistency (α = .91) and cross-validation analyses identified significant differences between groups on total YLS scores and risk domains. The second analysis examines the predictive validity of the YLS/CMI in a subsample of 921 youth with a minimum follow-up period of 2 years. The overall recidivism rate was 74.8% and there were differences in scores and recidivism rates for Indigenous compared to non-Indigenous youth, although the predictive accuracies in terms of AUC were similar (c. = 0.65 and 0.66, respectively).
Evaluating the Effectiveness of the Emotional Management Programme for Male Adolescent Offenders in Custody
Abstract
This mixed-methods study examines the effectiveness of the emotional management (EM) programme for male juvenile offenders in custody. EM is a 10-session cognitive-behavioural, skills-based group programme designed to target a range of general criminogenic needs. Paired group analyses were completed to examine the differences in pre- and post-programme scores for the total sample (N = 110) and results were separated into programme completers (n = 96), non-completers (n = 14) and Indigenous youth (n = 75). Consistent with expectations, the results showed statistically significant improvements in emotional regulation and statistically significant decreases in overall levels of aggressive thoughts and behaviours for programme completers and for Indigenous youth in our sample. Contrary to expectations, the results also indicated that programme non-completers showed improvements across the outcome measures, although these did not reach statistical significance. Qualitative analysis of participant programme feedback further supported the quantitative results and highlighted the importance of the therapeutic alliance, programme facilitation style and delivery. The findings contribute to the ‘what works’ research base on risk reduction approaches for youth offenders and provide insights into programme and process factors that improve the likelihood of positive treatment outcomes. Suggestions for programme improvements and future research directions are discussed.