Assess, inform and measure (AIM) pilot project

The Wisconsin Court System’s the Effective Justice Strategies Subcommittee (EJSS) has been working to explore and assess the effectiveness of policies and programs designed to improve public safety and reduce incarceration. With the leadership of subcommittee Chair Judge Carl Ashley, the EJSS has dedicated a significant amount of time studying the key factors in determining when or if an individual is appropriate to be safely diverted from a jail or prison sentence. Critical to this determination is the nature and value of the information provided to the court in advance of a sentencing decision.

The EJSS developed a process model titled AIM (Assess, Inform, and Measure) which is intended to enhance the quality and scope of information provided to the court about a specified target population. This information would include a summary of the following:

• Risk assessment (an individual's risk to commit further crime in the community).
• Needs assessment (assessing criminogenic needs - needs that are directly related to the individual's criminal behavior).
• Responsivity assessment (taking into account the individual's motivation to change, learning style, gender and cultural needs).
• Summary of available community-based treatment programs that address needs and reduce the offender’s risk to the community.

In addition to providing information to the court in advance of sentencing, the other key component of the AIM model includes the development of a "feedback loop." The feedback loop provides aggregate process and outcome data back to the court and local criminal justice system about the AIM cases. This process would serve as a means to continually measure outcomes on the success/failure rates (recidivism) of offenders targeted for this project.

Goals of AIM

• Provide the court with a valid risk, needs, responsivity and community intervention assessment, while creating feedback loop that provides information on the success of court dispositions and community interventions in promoting offender success and public safety.
• Provide the court with valid and reliable information, based on current evidence-based practices, which will add value in the case disposition process.
• Create a process and outcome feedback loop that provides information on the value of the information being provided to the court and validation of the assessment process.

AIM pilot counties:
Eau Claire
La Crosse
Portage
Marathon
Iowa

AIM pilot project handout

For further information about the AIM Project, contact Erin Slattengren, Special Projects Manager, at (608) 261-0684.

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