Journal of Threat Assessment and Management, Vol 10(2), Jun 2023, 99-111; doi:10.1037/tam0000185
Racial disparities in criminal justice processes and outcomes have garnered considerable attention. Whether and how risk assessment instruments might contribute to such discrepancies are critical questions. However, tools based on the widely applied structured professional judgment (SPJ) model have received little attention in this regard. This study investigated relationships between race and violence risk appraisals derived from two commonly used SPJ tools, the Historical-Clinical-Risk Management 20 (HCR-20V3) and the Spousal Assault Risk Assessment Guide (SARA-V3), using a database of 337 diverse individuals’ information. Results were mixed with respect to racial disparity. Race was not clearly associated with summary ratings on the HCR-20V3. However, being Indigenous predicted high-risk ratings on the SARA-V3 after controlling for risk factors and criminal history, but not after controlling for actuarial risk scores. While the results were promising in many respects, they nonetheless suggest that associations between race and SPJ risk appraisals warrant further empirical study. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)