Targeting Dispositions for Drug-Involved Offenders: A Field Trial of the Risk and Needs Triage (RANT)

• NCJ Number: 234849
• Journal: Journal of Criminal Justice Volume: 39 Issue: 3 Dated: May/June 2011 Pages: 253-260
• Author(s): Douglas B. Marlowe; David S. Festinger; Karen L. Dugosh; Anne Caron; Marcy R. Podkopacz; Nicolle T. Clements
• Date Published: June 2011
• Length: 8 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Language: English
• Country: Netherlands

Annotation

This study explored the effectiveness of assigning drug-involved offenders to specific dispositions based on the results of an assessment of their criminogenic risks and needs.

Abstract

The study found that the Risk and Needs Triage (RANT) administered to felony drug and property offenders at the pre-trial stage or shortly after sentencing for probation predicted re-arrest and re-conviction rates within 12 months of case disposition. The findings also indicate that there was no racial or gender bias in the prediction of recidivism. Data for this study were obtained from 627 felony drug and property offenders that were administered the Risk and Needs Triage (RANT) at the pre-trial stage or shortly after sentencing for probation. The RANT is a brief, 19-item screening tool used to identify reliable and valid criminogenic-need and prognostic-risk factors among offenders at the point of arrest. Analyses of the findings show that the RANT demonstrated acceptable levels of internal consistency and factorial validity, and that it significantly predicted recidivism rates within 12 months of case disposition. These results lend support for the use of the RANT as an effective dispositional triage tool for drug-involved defendants and probationers at or near the point of re-arrest. Study limitations are discussed. Figures, table, and references