OASys is the abbreviated term for the Offender Assessment System, used in England and Wales by
Her Majesty's Prison Service
His Majesty's Prison Service (HMPS) is a part of HM Prison and Probation Service (formerly the National Offender Management Service), which is the part of His Majesty's Government charged with managing most of the prisons within England and Wale ...
and the
National Probation Service
The Probation Service (formerly the National Probation Service) for England and Wales is a statutory criminal justice service, mainly responsible for the supervision of offenders in the community and the provision of reports to the criminal cour ...
to measure the risks and needs of criminal offenders under their supervision. Initially developed in 2001, it was built upon the existing ‘What Works’ evidence base.
OASys is designed to enable a properly trained and qualified individual; often a Probation Officer, to:
* assess how likely an offender is to be re-convicted
* identify and classify offending-related needs, including basic personality characteristics and cognitive behavioural problems
* assess risk of serious harm, risks to the individual and other risks
* assist with management of risk of harm
* links the assessment to the supervision or sentence plan
* indicate the need for further specialist assessments
* measure change during the period of supervision / sentence.
OASys comprises a series of
computer
A computer is a machine that can be programmed to Execution (computing), carry out sequences of arithmetic or logical operations (computation) automatically. Modern digital electronic computers can perform generic sets of operations known as C ...
-based forms on which clinical evaluations are made by staff of Offenders, and supervision and sentence plans for the forthcoming period of supervision are recorded on a periodic basis - typically every 16 weeks for
offenders in the community, and less frequently for
imprisoned offenders.
OASys supports the ''What Works?'' initiative of the Prison and Probation Services, by providing
metric
Metric or metrical may refer to:
* Metric system, an internationally adopted decimal system of measurement
* An adjective indicating relation to measurement in general, or a noun describing a specific type of measurement
Mathematics
In mathema ...
s by which the characteristics of offenders and their offences (inputs) can be analysed alongside information on interventions made (inputs) to the offender, and re-conviction data for offenders (outcomes), in order to enable refinement to be made to interventions (based on a consideration of the relation between inputs and outcomes) as to improve outcomes - in other words, to decrease
recidivism
Recidivism (; from ''recidive'' and ''ism'', from Latin ''recidīvus'' "recurring", from ''re-'' "back" and ''cadō'' "I fall") is the act of a person repeating an undesirable behavior after they have experienced negative consequences of th ...
rates by ensuring that interventions are as appropriate and purposeful as possible.
References
External links
OASys: the new Offender Assessment System- National Probation Service, Spring 2003
Findings from the measurement of OASys completion rates- Ministry of Justice, March 2009
Penal system in England
Penal system in Wales
2002 establishments in England
2002 establishments in Wales
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