Risk Assessment and Sex Offender Community Supervision: A Context-Specific Framework

The author raises important questions about not only the accuracy of sex offender-specific assessment devices using either actuarial or clinical assessment instruments, but also about the interplay between the actual risk posed by various types of sex offenders and the stakes (for offenders, victims, probation/parole officers, and the community) associated with decisions made on the appropriate level of control for this group of low-risk but high-stakes offenders.