Predictive Utility of the LSI for Incarcerated Female Offenders

Abstract

The Level of Supervision Inventory (LSI), an objective risk evaluation instrument based on social learning theory, was administered to 526 provincially incarcerated adult females. The average LSI score was 15.5, compared to average scores ranging from 20.9 to 25.1 for samples of provincially incarcerated adult males from the same jurisdiction. Data on three outcome measures were collected over a 39-month period. Use of LSI scores for prediction produced relative improvement over chance scores for 1-and 2year recidivism, parole failure, and halfway house noncompliance ranging from 54.5% to 71.5%. Across all types of discharge, offenders defined by the LSI as high risk were consistently more likely to fail on release than were low-risk offenders. Recommended cutoff scores for low- and high-risk female offenders are given, and the implications for classification and rehabilitation are explored.