The goal of Oregon's automated assessment program in 1998 is to identify health and educational barriers for each inmate which contributed to criminal conduct and to develop a plan to address the deficits. To ensure maximum use of limited resources, the program uses, where appropriate, group testing to identify potential problem areas that can be followed-up by individual interviews with professional staff. In situations where inmates cannot complete the group tests due to physical, mental, language, or literacy limitations, they are assessed individually by professional staff. A Three-Step Process 1. Following a brief orientation, psychometricians administer educational tests to determine reading and math levels.
Inmates achieving a minimum reading score continue with further group assessment activities.
Counselors then analyze test results, develop and prioritize a set of action steps within the inmate's incarceration plan, and forward this to the receiving institution counselor. Further, the intake counselor finalizes a classification plan designed to place the individual in an appropriate institution that reflects a combination of security risk factors, treatment, education, and work availability. A clear and well-focused automated intake assessment process allows the Department to economically identify the functional barriers that limit the ability of the inmate to be a productive member of society. At a cost of less than 20 percent of standard market pricing, each inmate in the Oregon Department of Corrections secures a thorough assessment ensuring inmates are placed in appropriate correctional facilities with a simple and clear plan.