Risk Scores and Recidivism: The Experience of a Sample of Alabama Youth

David A. Bowers, Jr., University of South Alabama

ABSTRACT
One of the greatest challenges in juvenile corrections is to predict the future behavior of delinquents. The most common measns of predicting future behavior is to compute a risk score using a standardized instrument. This study will match risk scores given to a sample of students adjudicated to the Alabama Department of Youth Services with their post-release behavior. Through this comparison the author will be able to assess the predictive validity of risk scores and make suggestions as to how risk instruments could be improved.

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Updated 05/20/2006