The Need Principle

The Need Principle

• Focus interventions on changeable aspects that reduce recidivism.
• Low self-esteem is not predictive of recidivism.
• Improving self-esteem might be good, but may not alter the likelihood of re-offending.

Criminogenic Needs

• Changeable things about people that predict recidivism.
• Also known as dynamic risk factors.
• Sometimes referred to as the central eight.
• Example: Antisocial peers.
  • A person with many criminal friends is influenced by them.
  • Helping the person change/reduce those influences can reduce involvement in the criminal justice system.

Big Four and Moderate Four

• Some texts break down criminogenic needs into "big four" and "moderate four."
• Recent research suggests this isn't a robust distinction.
• The bottom four are not always weaker predictors than the top four.

Targeting Change

• Focus on changing criminogenic needs.
• There are more ways to change those things than originally thought.

Examples of Changing Antisocial Peers

• Social Isolation:
  • Put the person in COVID lockdown.
  • Cut them off from computers, etc.
  • They could be living in social isolation.
  • They wouldn't have contact with criminal peers.
• Pro-social Integration:
  • Put them into social contexts.
  • Get them in a job, sport, or some other activity.
  • New, pro-social friends replace criminal friends.