The development of the Sex Offender Psychometric Scoring System (SOPSSys) for use in the Probation Service

Abstract

Within the probation service for England and Wales, a number of psychometric assessments are typically administered to offenders who attend structured group-based interventions. These assessments help to measure the offenders’ progress in treatment. The assessments that are used with the sex offender treatment programmes can also help to determine the offenders’ level of treatment need, and consequently the length of treatment that would be appropriate. The time taken to manually score these assessments is therefore significant, and consequently highly resource intensive. The current article describes a computer-based scoring system that has been developed to make this process quicker and more efficient. The processes and considerations involved in designing the system are discussed, as are the benefits and the implications of using it.

Keywords

computer automated scoring probation psychometrics sex offenders treatment

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References

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Beech, A.R. , Fisher, D. & Beckett, R.C. (1999) An Evaluation of the Prison Sex Offender Treatment Programme. UK Home Office Occasional Report. Available from Home Office Publications Unit, 50, Queen Anne’s Gate, London, SW1 9AT, England . Available electronically from: www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs/occ-step3.pdf

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