Criminal and Human Behavior

Inmate #1

Todd Brown a 24-year-old who has been incarcerated for 3 years has a history of violence and thus VRAG assessment instrument is the most appropriate for the case. This choice is justified because the offender has in the past been involved in aggressive acts that led to the shooting of an elderly man. From an assessment of the offender’s history and his current behavior, it is evident that he is less likely to get engaged in another aggressive offense.

VRAG Items Assessment

1. Lived with biological parents to age 16 (-2)
2. Elementary school maladjustment (2)
3. History of alcohol problems (2)
4. Marital status (-2)
5. Criminal convictions for nonviolent offenses before the index crime (-2)
6. Prior conditional release failure (0)
7. Age at index crime (2)
8. Victim injury (0)
9. Female victim (1)
10. Personality disorder (3)
11. Criteria for Schizophrenia (-3)
12. Hare Psychopathy Checklist-Revised score (0) (KNEP, N.D).

            The score would be a yes for this case. For all the element the total score equals to -24 which best illustrates that the risk is low. This, therefore, implies that the likelihood of recidivism occurring is particularly low which means that the offender is safe when under parole. This risk level of the offender is low based on the assessment because the personality disorder might have originated from the death of his parents which left him traumatized thus causing the aggressive expression. This offer is best suited for a parole which will involve a temporary release prior to the exhaustion of the period which will, in turn, seek to observe his behavior. Through such as setting it is apparent that the offender can change and the probability of him engaging in a violate crime is low since he has not been convicted in the past for aggressive offenses (Jacquin, 2016).

            Inmate #2

            For Silas a rape offense inmate, it is evident that SORAG is the best assessment instrument to determine the risk level of repeating the offense. The score for the assessment is above average which illustrates that the offender needs the incarceration so that he changes his behavior as well as lowering the possibility of the crimes. This is not just to punish him but also to instill desirable behaviors in him. There is a clinical behavior of high risk in committing crimes despite the fact that he has not struggled with drugs or demonstrated any violence during his incarceration or before. However, the offender has a psychological issue of divergence thus terming it hard to assess and accurately predict the risk. The test result is positive which means that the prediction demonstrates high re-offense.

SORAG Items Assessment

1. Lived with biological parents to age 16 (3)
2. Elementary school maladjustment (5)
3. History of alcohol problems (-1)
4. Marital status (1)
5. Criminal convictions for nonviolent offenses before the index crime (3)
6. Prior conditional release failure (5)
7. Previous sexual offenses rate (5)
8. Sex offenses History (+4)
9. Conditional release failure (0)
10. Age at index crime (2)
11. Personality disorder (3)
12. Criteria for Schizophrenia (-3)
13. Phallometric tests results (1) (KNEP, N.D).

From the above assessment, it is evident that the risk level of recidivism for the inmate is high. These are because the offender has been involved in consistent crimes regarding rape attempts and sexual attacks on young girls for a while. Despite the punishments received the inmate has remained reluctant. From the personality and psychological examination, it is evident that he is deviant against young girls. The offender is thus not safe under parole because the likelihood of repeating the offense is high. The inmate requires not only to be incarcerated to change his behaviors in general but also the substantial psychological rehabilitation to change his ways (Jacquin, 2016). This can best be achieved within the correctional facilities. The offender is not suited to integrating with the larger community based on his high sexual assault possibility.

 

 

 

 

 

References

Jacquin, K. (2016). Risk Assessment Lecture. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWb2IQlmCvQ&feature=youtu.be

KNEP. (N.D). Sex Offender Risk Appraisal Guide (SORAG). Retrieved from https://www.knfp.ch/en/risk-assessment-instruments/sorag.html

KNEP. (N.D). Violence Risk Appraisal Guide (VRAG). Retrieved from https://www.knfp.ch/en/risk-assessment-instruments/vrag.html