Risk Assessment and Management of Known Sexual and Violent Offenders

In a climate of increasing public scrutiny and concern for accountability, the reliable assessment and effective management of sexual and violent offenders is a pressing issue. This report distills and reviews the most relevant literature and demonstrates its relevance to those who participate in multi-agency public protection panel meetings. The report also discusses the roles and responsibilities of police and probation personnel who assess and manage risk from known sexual and violent offenders. The report covers four broad areas : 1) the legislative provisions covering sexual offenders, and specifically those sexual and violent offenders deemed to be dangerous; 2) different approaches to risk assessment; 3) the current tools available in this area; and, 4) risk management.