Forums

A shout out for the WRNA.  Thank you, Roberta, for mentioning it.  I found the assessment very helpful when I worked in women's facilties.  It also comes in three different verisions - Institutional - Prerelease & Community....
Different risk factors come in to play in each version.  For example, childhood sexual abuse is an institutional risk factor, but domestic violence is a pre-release/community risk factor.  My expereince is that women offenders with histories of DV, especially those who have sustained injuries, often expereince a period of unstabilty before release. Safety planning is often more effective at reducing their stress than mental health counseling.  Because the WRNA is designed to conceptualize trauma as a risk factor, it may have its uses with males.  Research is underway with male offenders to determine if it predicts institutional adjustment for males with trauma.    Niki