New assessment data to give insights into complex needs of offenders
Categories: Data linkage programmes, Research using linked data, Datasets, ADR England, Office for National Statistics, Crime & justice, Inequality & social inclusion
11 November 2024
Data from the offender assessment system which is used in prisons and probation services to record the risks and needs of offenders is now available in the ONS Secure Research Service. Making this vast dataset available for public good research has been made possible by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) Data First programme, funded by ADR UK.
His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) uses the offender assessment system to capture a broad spectrum of risks and needs of adult offenders, as well as specialist assessments covering areas such as domestic violence and sexual offending. The dataset can be used to address important evidence gaps for policymakers by providing deeper insights into the characteristics of those convicted of offences in England and Wales.
Hugh Stickland – Chief Data Officer and Chief Scientific Adviser, Ministry of Justice said: “The addition of offender assessments to the Data First datasets marks a major milestone in the provision of data for justice research. The wealth of data now available allows researchers the opportunity to explore the complex needs of justice system users. Data First continues to drive the Ministry of Justice’s commitment to enable academic research to address key evidence gaps for policymaking.”
About the data
The MoJ Data First Offender Assessment dataset includes over 1,100 variables extracted from the offender assessment system. This is the system used by HMPPS in England and Wales to record assessments of people in custody and under probation supervision in the community. The dataset covers assessments from January 2011 to December 2023.
Information contained in the dataset includes:
- offender characteristics, such as age, sex, marital status and ethnicity
- offending histories
- offender needs, including for example, current and previous substance misuse, accommodation and employment needs
- offender risk assessments, including in relation to reconvictions, violence and sexual reoffending
- specialised assessments, including in relation to domestic abuse and sexual offending.
Records have been de-identified and de-duplicated, using the MoJ Data First probabilistic record linkage package, Splink, so that a unique identifier is assigned to all records believed to relate to the same person. This allows for longitudinal analysis and investigation of repeat interactions with the offender assessment system.
The MoJ Data First linking dataset can be used in combination with other Data First datasets to join up records about people from across justice services (including courts, prisons and probation) to increase understanding around users' interactions, pathways and outcomes across the justice system. Find out more about the linked Data First Cross-Justice – England and Wales dataset.
Potential for good
This dataset provides the opportunity for researchers to explore themes in relation to the risks and needs of offenders, how these change over time, and how this may impact upon reappearances in the justice system.
Example research questions that may be possible with the data include:
- What are the risks and needs of different offender groups? How do these change over time?
- What are the characteristics, risks and needs of individuals who stop offending and those who are reconvicted? How do they differ?
- Are there patterns in offenders’ risks and needs and their likelihood of reconviction?
- How do the characteristics of individuals who commit violence in prison, differ from the wider prison population? Do their journeys through the justice system differ?
How to access the dataset
This dataset is available through the ONS Secure Research Service. To access this data, researchers must be fully accredited under the Digital Economy Act (2017). To become accredited, complete the application form through the ONS Research Accreditation Service.
Accredited researchers can apply to access this dataset by submitting an application form to the MoJ: Data First secure access to data - GOV.UK. You will also need to submit an application to the Research Accreditation Service: Apply for an accredited research project – ONS. Contact srs.customer.support@ons.gov.uk with any questions.
