Advancing Corrections Journal - Edition #10 - Understanding, Assessing, Managing and Reducing RISK (ACJ10-A008)

The Risk-Need-Responsivity (RNR) model provides an empirically validated approach for reducing risk and lowering recidivism. Through considerable research over time, the first two principles of Risk and Need have been well developed and expanded. The third core principle of Responsivity has been overlooked and has lagged behind, even though it encompasses offender engagement and motivation. The good news for correctional treatment is the focus on the responsivity principle has been increasing—and expanding. Understanding the value of engagement and motivation has sparked an expansion of specific responsivity to include the provider-offender relationship. Numerous studies on this relationship find the best reductions in recidivism come from blending control and alliance to establish a synthetic or hybrid approach—one that calls supervision staff to establish a “dual relationship.” This paper will point out the RNR model authors’ endorsements and recommendations for the use of Motivational Interviewing (MI) in correctional settings. MI’s ability to increase an offender’s readiness to change while offering direct practice methods for establishing dual relationships are explored. That MI represents the largest share of what the responsivity principle seeks to accomplish has led MI to be labeled a “natural fit” for community corrections. Several benefits that MI offers the rehabilitation process are detailed.

 

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