ABSTRACT
The risk paradigm significantly influences practice in the field of corrections at a time when increasing attention is sought for alternative approaches to risk driven assessment, most notably desistance and good lives collaborative problem-solving models. This chapter questions some of the assumptions underlying risk-based approaches; in particular risk assessment profiles both effectively predict risk of further offending and determine the most appropriate offender needs or problems to be targeted during treatment. Of major concern is the extent to which risk-driven interventions may create further disadvantage, given the key role of the worker in directing intervention rather than developing plans based in worker–client collaborations.
