Women's Risk Needs Assessment Research (WRNA) - College of Social Work

WRNA Women's Risk Needs Assessment

We strive to conduct rigorous research that informs efforts to prevent women from cycling in and out of the criminal justice system, and to improve the lives of system-impacted women. The suite of Women's Risk Needs Assessment (WRNA) instruments are the only validated, peer-reviewed risk/need instruments in the public domain specifically designed by and for system-impacted women. The WRNA not only measures women's specific criminogenic needs, but also their strengths, to drive a comprehensive, holistic case-plan designed to work alongside women and their gender- and trauma-responsive treatment and supervision.

Now Recruiting

Dr. Emily Salisbury and UCJC are recruiting probation agencies interested in improving their gender-responsive supervision caseloads through a randomized controlled trial (RCT) research study funded by Arnold Ventures. UCJC was awarded funding to conduct research planning meetings with interested agencies to determine feasibility of an RCT comparing gender-responsive probation supervision versus traditional, gender-neutral probation supervision among female populations. If interested, please send a detailed explanation of how your agency meets the eligibility criteria listed below to ucjc@utah.edu.

Eligibility Criteria

Agency has implemented WRNA to some extent
Agency is able to electronically extract WRNA data from a management information system
Agency is able to obtain recidivism data that measures arrest, conviction, and jail/prison stays
Agency serves at least 500 new adult felony women clients annually

About the WRNA

The WRNA was originally created through a cooperative agreement between the National Institute of Corrections and the University of Cincinnati through research conducted by Patricia Van Voorhis, Emily Salisbury, Emily Wright, and Ashley Bauman. The instrument is now managed by Dr. Emily Salisbury at Utah Criminal Justice Center (UCJC), College of Social Work University of Utah. For more information about the WRNA, please contact Emily Salisbury at emily.salisbury@utah.edu or view other frequently asked questions about WRNA.

The WRNA is one of the few risk/need assessment instruments that:

Measures clients’ strengths and protective factors that reduce women’s likelihood of recidivism. This is crucial to recognize among the people we work with in order to enhance motivation and case planning strategies.
Includes a trauma-informed interview process. Staff trained as end-users on the WRNA are trained on how to deliver trauma-informed interview practices and will not be certified as an end-user without proper demonstration of this skill.
Measures women’s criminogenic needs that are not addressed on gender-neutral assessments, such as unhealthy intimate relationships, symptoms of depression and anxiety, parental stress, etc.
Measures prior trauma and victimization, as well as PTSD and complex needs to properly address in treatment.
Is specifically designed from the theories and evidence-base that focus on women’s risk, needs, and strengths.

The WRNA is a public-domain instrument. However, there are conditions of use, a license agreement, and training costs associated with its implemenation. A license/user agreement issued by the University of Utah must be signed by any interested agency before WRNA training can occur.

The Utah Criminal Justice Center offers online, interactive WRNA end-user training with self-paced and live learning sessions.

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