The Legacy of D. A. Andrews in the Field of Criminal Justice: How Theory and Research Can Change Policy and Practice

Abstract

Donald Andrews’ overarching goal in the field of criminal justice was to assist offenders in changing their antisocial behavior. His means of doing so was to assist criminal justice agencies and their practitioners by changing the manner by which they worked with offenders. Beginning with the principles of differential association and social learning theory, Andrews crafted his own version of the psychology of criminal conduct (PCC). As a result of PCC, terms like “criminogenic needs” and “risk-need-responsivity” (RNR), which he coined and then researched extensively, have become commonplace in the lexicon of corrections. But that is only the beginning of his legacy. Translating theory to practice and then implementing it in countless criminal justice agencies represents his second monumental contribution to correctional and forensic psychology. The tools he developed were vital to his linking assessment with intervention and his translating theory and research to policy and practice. He also insisted that these efforts be conducted in a humane and just manner.

Keywords:

• Offender risk assessment
• effective correctional treatment
• risk-need-responsivity (RNR)

Acknowledgments

J. Stephen Wormith receives royalties from sales of the Level of Service/Case Management Inventory.