The risk-needs-responsivity model is used in criminology to develop recommendations for how prisoners should be assessed based on the risk they present, what programs or services they require, and what kinds of environments they should be placed in to reduce recidivism.
It was first proposed in 1990[1] based on the research conducted on classifications of offender treatments by Lee Sechrest and Ted Palmer, among other researchers, in the 1960s and 70s.
[2] It was primarily developed by Canadian researchers James Bonta, Donald A. Andrews, and Paul Gendreau.
[3] It has been considered the best model that exists for determining offender treatment, and some of the best risk-assessment tools used on offenders are based on it.
[4] According to the model, there are three main principles that should guide interventions for helping offenders reduce involvement in crime:[4][5]