Key words: social danger, criminal recidivism, assessment, HCR-20 V3, forensic psychiatry
The current field of forensic psychiatry and psychology requires that professionals have adequate skills to assess the potential risk that a criminal poses to the society. The aim of such assessments is to indicate a viable and effective path to follow in juridical, clinical and rehabilitative practices. The aim of this article is to propose a structured model of risk assessment and prediction of criminal recidivism, by combining the results from three different measures, namely, the Psychopathy Checklist – Revised (PCL-R), the Personality Inventory for DSM-5 (PID-5), and the Historical Clinical Risk Management-20, Version 3 (HCR-20 V3). This assessment procedure is intended to improve the quality of the diagnosis as well as the management of individuals who committed crimes (particularly violent crimes) and who are waiting for trials in detention centers or in mental health institutions. This can be achieved by spreading a good and accurate practice in the judiciary and clinical-forensic contexts. The assessment procedure is illustrated in its more practical implication by presenting a forensic case in which the three measures have been used together.