1st Offense Inventory
Non-Violent, First Offense Assessment
The 1st Offense Inventory The 1st Offense Inventory is used to evaluate adult male and female first-time offenders (no prior convictions). This test is particularly useful in defendant, presentence, pretrial and probation settings.
The 1st Offense Inventory consists of 122 true, false and multiple choice items. It takes 20 to 25 minutes on average to complete and has a fifth grade reading level. Reports are complete and printed on-site within 2 minutes of data entry. The 1st Offense Inventory has seven scales (measures):
Seven 1st Offense Inventory Scales (Measures)
1. Truthfulness Scale: measures how truthful the offender was while completing the test. It would be naïve to assume that respondents always tell the truth - particularly in court and probation settings. The Truthfulness Scale detects denial, problem minimization and attempts to “fake good.”
2. Alcohol Scale: measures alcohol use and when appropriate the severity of abuse. Alcohol refers to beer, wine and other liquors. This scale measures the severity of alcohol abuse so the assessor can match problem severity with treatment intensity.
3. Drugs Scale: measures the severity of drug (marijuana, crack, ice, ecstasy, LSD, cocaine, amphetamines, barbiturates, heroin, etc.) use and when appropriate abuse. The Drugs Scale measures the severity of drug abuse so the assessor can match problem severity with treatment intensity.
4. Antisocial Scale: measures antisocial attitudes and behaviors. It identifies offenders that are opposed to society and are aggressive, irresponsible and destructive. Antisocial people are opposed to existing social organization and moral codes.
5. Peer Pressure Scale: measures a person’s susceptibility to peer pressure or the influence of others. By definition: pressure from one's peers to behave in a manner similar or acceptable to them.
6. Entitlement Scale: measures a person’s beliefs and entitlement related attitudes. Some people believe they “are entitled,” “deserve,” or “have a right to” more material goods, benefits or other services. Some people believe they are “entitled” to more than others.
7. Self-Esteem Scale: measures a person’s perception of self. Self-esteem incorporates an attitude of acceptance-approval versus rejection-disapproval of oneself. This scale describes the person one believes oneself to be.
Why use the 1st Offense Inventory? Early detection of problem severity facilitates prompt intervention which contributes greatly to successful recovery. And measuring the severity of problems enables evaluators to match problem severity with treatment intensity. We now know this is a necessary prerequisite for treatment effectiveness.
In 20 to 25 minutes staff can screen important behavioral, attitudinal, and self-awareness factors important in understanding first offenders, their risks (problems) and treatment needs (intervention, counseling or treatment). It is important to note that each scale measures problem severity. This is a necessary prerequisite for matching problem severity with appropriate treatment intensity referral.
1st Offense Inventory reports can be individualized to a states court and/or probation department available referral alternatives. To participants in such “test individualization”.
Confidentiality: BDS encourages test users to delete offender names from diskettes before they are returned to BDS. Once client names are deleted they are gone and cannot be retrieved. Deleting client names does not delete demographics or test data which is downloaded into the DRI-II database for subsequent analysis. This proprietary name deletion procedure involves a few keystrokes and insures client confidentiality and HIPAA (federal regulation 45 C.F.R. 164.501) requirement compliance.
Test Data Input Verification: Allows the staff person that inputs test data from the answer sheet into the computer to verify the accuracy of their data input. In brief, test data is input twice and any inconsistencies between the first and second data entry are highlighted until corrected. When the first and second data entry match or are the same the staff person can continue. This proprietary Data Input Verification procedure is optional, yet strongly recommended by BDS.
Training Manual: The Training Manual explains how the 1st Offense Inventory works. It is a must read for staff that will be using the 1st Offense. Training Manual content includes, but is not limited to, the following: instructions for testing, explanation of how scores are derived, clarification of how court-related information is used, description of unique DRI-II features and much more.
Advantages of Screening: Screening or assessment instruments filter out individuals with serious problems that may require referral for a more comprehensive evaluation and/or treatment. This filtering system works as follows:
Risk Catagory |
Risk Range Percentile |
Total Percentage |
|---|---|---|
Low Risk |
0 - 39% |
39% |
Medium Risk |
40 - 69% |
30% |
Problem Risk |
70 - 89% |
20% |
Severe Problem |
90 - 100% |
11% |
Reference to the above table shows that a problem is not identified until a scale score is at the 70th percentile or higher. This procedure is eminently fair and it avoids extremes, i.e., over or under-identification of problems.
A state, department, court or agency policy might refer clients with severe problems for further evaluation, intervention or treatment. In this case 11% of the people screened (Severe Problem) would be referred. Budgetary savings (dollars) would be large with no compromises in needy people receiving appropriate evaluation and/or treatment services. Indeed, more needy people would receive help. Without a screening program there is usually more risk of over or under utilization of additional professional services.
Selecting An Offender Test: If you are selecting a offender assessment instrument, the following Comparison Checklist should prove helpful. It lists important screening test qualities. The “Other” column represents any other test you might want to compare to the 1st Offense Inventory.
Comparison Categories |
|
|
|---|---|---|
Designed Specifically for 1st Offense Inventory |
✓ |
|
Test Completed in 20 Minutes |
✓ |
|
On-Site Reports Within 2 Minutes |
✓ |
|
Truthfulness Scale to Detect Faking |
✓ |
|
Truth-Corrected Scores for Accuracy |
✓ |
|
Four Test Administration Options: |
✓ |
|
► Paper-Pencil (English and Spanish) |
✓ |
|
► On Computer Screen (English and Spanish) |
✓ |
|
► Human Voice Audio (Reading Impaired) |
✓ |
|
► Over the Internet (www.online-testing.com) |
✓ |
|
Delete Client Names (insures confidentiality) |
✓ |
|
HIPAA Regulation Compliant |
✓ |
|
ASAM Compatible |
✓ |
|
Test Data Input Verification (insures accuracy) |
✓ |
|
Available in English and Spanish |
✓ |
|
Annual Database Research (Free) |
✓ |
|
Annual Testing Program Summary (Free) |
✓ |
|
Alcohol and Drugs Scales |
✓ |
|
Antisocial Scale |
✓ |
|
Peer Pressure Scale |
✓ |
|
Stress Coping Abilities Scale |
✓ |
|
Entitlement Scale |
✓ |
|
Highly Rated by NHTSA |
✓ |
|
Easily Understood Reports |
✓ |
|
Reports Recommendations can be Individualized |
✓ |
|