“I Am Not Now Who I Used to Be Then”: Risk Assessment and the Maturation of Long-Term Prison Inmates

Abstract

The average long-term prisoner’s risk of reoffending diminishes with age, in part because some prisoners experience significant maturation and undergo substantial and relevant personality change. This process can be supported by prison staff through the sponsorship of activities and programming designed to promote personal development. Prisoner-release decisions that emphasize offense-related information can take greater account of prisoners’ efforts and achievements in confinement.

Keywords

long-term imprisonment prison programs maturation risk assessment

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References

Glaser, D. ( 1995). Preparing convicts for law-abiding lives: The pioneering penology of Richard A. McGee. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press.

Maruna, S. ( 2001). Making good: How ex-convicts reform and rebuild their lives. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.