Risk Assessment Practices for Sexual and Violent Offenders in Israel

This chapter reviews the risk assessment system in Israel, with particular emphasis on sexual and violent offenders. It describes the bodies responsible for issuing risk assessment reports and their professional approaches. The review shows that Israeli law does not regulate the work of risk assessors, who, accordingly, enjoy almost unfettered professional discretion with regard to procedure and method. Courts have regularly refrained from interfering, tending to treat assessors’ reports as decisive on the question of risk. In general, risk assessors use an unstructured examination that relies on a clinical interview of subjects and a review of their files. Subjects’ attitude to the crime is a critical factor, especially in relation to prisoners. Prisoners who deny their crimes are usually excluded from treatment and, subsequently, denied furloughs and parole.