The role of risk assessment in Lithuanian penal system

Abstract

The risk assessment and management of re-offending is relatively a new practice in Lithuania. The implementation of worldwide recognized and validated instruments has started in 2000. The list of forensic instruments used for risk assessment, which have been validated in Lithuania, were approved in 2012 by General Director of the Prison Department under the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Lithuania. The list consists of OASys – Offender Assessment System, PCL: SV – Hare Psychopathy Checklist: Screening Version, HCR-20 – Historical, Clinical, Risk Management-20, SVR-20 – Sexual Violence Risk – 20, SARA - Spousal Assault Risk Assessment Guide and B-SAFER – Brief Spousal Assault Form for the Evaluation of Risk. The new Law of Probation, which came into force in July 2012, indicates that risk assessment is an obligatory decision-making procedure in the process of offender supervision. In 2012 Minister of Justice of the Republic of Lithuania approved, that the form of report of risk assessment results is required document for decision-making. The form is based mainly on the OASys assessment. The aim of this presentation is (1) to overview the implementation process of risk assessment instruments in Lithuania, (2) to demonstrate their utility, and (3) to address some main concerns and issues of risk assessment processes related to the peculiarities of Lithuanian Justice System. Finally, some policy implications, discussing how the results of this analysis may contribute to decision-making process, to implementation of correctional programs, as well as more insights for future research will be presented.