By Genie Jackson, equivant’s Research Team Lead
There are many practical reasons for classifying individuals within a correctional setting, but chief among them is the safe and efficient management of your facility. Your jail depends on a classification system to provide fair and accurate security level designations, but that system is only part of the story. Validation provides the additional information needed to ensure that your system is performing optimally. What information will a validation study provide? Why is it needed? And how can your facility benefit from a classification validation study?
At the most basic level, validation verifies that the instrument your agency uses to classify a population is working as expected. In the case of jail classification, this means that infraction rates of those identified by the classification instrument as higher risk of violent or other undesirable behaviors while in custody are actually higher; and infraction rates of those identified as lower risk are actually lower. Another equally essential aspect of a validation study is the examination of performance equitability by gender and race/ethnicity.
Critical information that validation studies provide include:
- Classification override rates
- Daily distribution of classification levels by count and percentage
- Rates at which re-classifications are made
- Summaries of re-classification reasons
However, a validation study is rarely restricted to just these topics. Your agency’s unique questions should be discussed with researchers when undertaking a validation study.
The Necessity:
Because populations and laws differ by geographic location and time, the validity of an instrument is affected by these factors. The validated accuracy of an instrument used by another agency in another location cannot be assumed to apply to that instrument in your department/location. It is essential to validate the classification instrument within your local population. Re-validation studies within a department are also needed to account for changes in laws and societal norms over time. It is recommended that re-validation be performed no less frequently than once every five years. In sum, an instrument can only be considered truly valid for your agency if it has been recently validated in the local population.
The Benefit:
A completed validation study may yield actionable information. For example, it may be found that override rates exceed the rate deemed acceptable by the agency. Such a finding could necessitate a review of override processes. Information about the distribution of risk levels may assist in facility resource planning. Reassessment rates and reasons help the department ensure that procedures are being followed and identify areas for improvement.
Your facility’s classification system is only as valuable as its effectiveness. Validation ensures instrument accuracy and an accurate classification instrument helps to enhance facility management and create a safe environment for staff and persons in custody. If it has been five years since your last classification system validation study, you are in search of a validated and easy classification system, or you have classification management questions, please reach out.
