Answer:
Overview of Criminogenic Needs
Whenever criminologists are trying to determine causes of crime, part of that analysis examines the criminogenic needs of an offender. They often ask the question, 'If the offender had this (something the offender clearly needs and is lacking), would he have still committed this crime?' Criminogenic needs are characteristics, traits, problems, or issues of an individual that directly relate to the individual's likelihood to re-offend and commit another crime. These break down into two categories: static and dynamic. Static factors cannot be changed or addressed by any sort of program or therapy in the prevention of future crimes. Examples of static factors include age at the time of first arrest, criminal history, residing in a single-parent home, and so forth. Generally, these are structural elements of a person's life that personally led them to commit crime.
In contrast, dynamic factors could be lack of respect for authority, anti-social behavior, lack of literacy or job skills, or other expressed nonconformist behaviors, values, and attitudes that are correlated with criminal activity. These factors can be addressed by therapy, training, education, and/or targeted programming and subsequently altered to result in more law-abiding behavior. Criminogenic needs are assessed in both juvenile and adult offenders by correctional programming that occurs in jails, detention centers, correctional institutions, prisons, and community correctional settings such as halfway houses.
Risk Factors
Now that we have a clearer idea of what criminogenic needs are, we can explore how these relate to risk factors. Risk factors tie into the dynamic factors we mentioned earlier. For instance, if an individual lacks literacy and is unable to complete a standard job application as a result, then he cannot obtain legitimate means of employment. This may lead him to resort to criminal activity to make money. His illiteracy is considered a risk factor and that specific skill, literacy, is the criminogenic need that must be fulfilled in order to reduce the risk of him returning to crime. Alternatively, if an individual has an anger management issue, the risk factor and providing the therapy to help the individual learn to control that anger is the criminogenic need. The need is what must be provided by some sort of correctional programming in order to reduce the risk of recidivism. The risk factor is generally determined as part of the initial assessment process as an offender is entering a correctional facility.
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