Problem areas are scored and the total number of problem 'points' indicates the level of risk of re-offending. Guidance is given about appropriate levels of supervision or containment according to the level of risk an offender poses, and problem areas such as employment or drug misuse are identified for appropriate programmes or intervention. OGRS is an actuarial predictive scale measuring only risk of re-offending. It was developed by the Home Office for use with offenders serving community sentences in England and Wales. It was originally developed in order to assist probation services in measuring their effectiveness.
Services can monitor which interventions perform better or worse than expectation.
The assessment is completed by inputting data into a computer programme and the level of risk of re-offending is described in percentage terms. The tool does not identify problem areas for intervention. The variables used in OGRS form the basis of the risk of re-offending assessment in the RAGF, which is a structured professional judgement tool combining actuarial indicators with clinical or professional judgements. The assessment is completed with the offender and recorded on the schedule and it may take a number of sessions to complete. The RA1 uses the same predictive factors as OGRS but does not determine precise levels of risk and judgements are made using 'high', 'medium', or 'low' descriptions.