PA Detention Risk Assessment Instrument
The Pennsylvania Detention Risk Assessment Instrument (PaDRAI) is a concise, structured decision making instrument used to assist in the critical decision of whether to securely detain a youth, release to an alternative to detention (ATD), or release to the custody of a parent or responsible adult during the period that the youth is awaiting his/her juvenile court hearing. The instrument is designed to assess the risk of a youth to: 1) commit additional offenses while awaiting his/her juvenile court hearing; and/or 2) fail to appear for his/her scheduled juvenile court hearing.
The PaDRAI is modeled after instruments developed through the Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative (JDAI) of the Annie E. Casey Foundation. JDAI-type detention risk assessment instruments have been in use for 20 years and replicated in over 200 jurisdictions in 39 states and the District of Columbia.
For additional information on PaDRAI you are encouraged to review the following documents found on this website:
Further information can be obtained by contacting Cheri Modene, Chair of the PaDRAI Workgroup at modenec@co.lancaster.pa.us or Alan Tezak, JJSES Project Consultant at alantezak@comcast.net.
