Act 95 of 2010 required the Commission adopt a sentence risk assessment instrument. The instrument may be used as an aid in evaluating the relative risk that an offender will reoffend and be a threat to society, indicate if a more thorough assessment is necessary or if a presentence investigation report should be completed, and aid in determining if an offender is an appropriate candidate for an alternative sentence. The Sentence Risk Assessment Instrument became effective July 1, 2020.
Act 14 of 2018 charged the Commission to adopt a model pretrial domestic violence risk assessment which may be used by Courts of Common Pleas, Philadelphia Municipal Courts, Magisterial District Judges, and Pittsburgh Magistrates Court. Each President Judge has the option of adopting a pretrial risk assessment tool for use by the issuing authority as an aid in determining whether a defendant poses a threat of danger to the victim for domestic violence. The Commission voted to recommend the Ontario Domestic Assault Risk Assessment (ODARA) as the model pretrial risk assessment tool on March 5, 2020. Due to the disruption of court operations related to COVID-19, further action related to this recommendation has been tabled.
Sentence Risk Assessment Instrument (7/1/2020)
Commission Research
- Moving High Risk Cut Point (2019)
- Three Options Regarding Gender and Risk (2019)
- Risk Update (2019)
- Commission Staff Response to External Review and Commentary (2019)
- Commission Staff Response to External Review (2019)
- External Review of Sentence Risk Assessment by Carnegie Mellon University (2019)
- Projections for High and Low Risk Offenders by Sentencing Matrix Cell (2017)
- Validation of a Risk Assessment Instrument by Offense Gravity Score for All Offenders (2016)
- Impact of Removing Demographic Factors (2015)
- Impact of Removing Age, Gender, and County from Risk Assessment Scale (2015)
- Impact of Juvenile Record on Recidivism (2014)
- Validation of Risk Scale (2013)
- Impact of Risk Assessment Tool for Low Risk Offenders (2012)
- Development of Risk Assessment Scale (2012)
- Developing Categories of Risk (2012)
- Recidivism Study: Initial Recidivism Information (2011)
- Factors that Predict Recidivism for for Various Types of Offenders (2011)
- Review Risk Assessment Instruments (2010)
Pretrial Domestic Violence Risk Assessment
Testimony
- ACLU of PA (3/4/2020)
- Abolitionist Law Center (3/4/2020)
- American Bail Coalition (3/4/2020)
- Amistad Law Project (3/4/2020)
- County Chief Adult Probation and Parole Officers Association of PA (2/10/2020)
- Defender Association of Philadelphia (2/19/2020)
- Media Mobilizing Project (3/4/2020)
- PA Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (3/3/2020)