FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 21, 2022
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Public Health Management Corporation’s Research & Evaluation Group Releases Latest Version of Risk and Needs Evaluation Software for Drug Courts
Risk and Needs Triage (RANT®) upgrade provides drug courts with reliable, evidence-based approach to improving public health and public safety
PHILADELPHIA – Public Health Management Corporation’s (PHMC) Research & Evaluation Group released the latest version of its Risk and Needs Triage, known to treatment courts nationally as the RANT®. The highly secure, web-based tool was designed to help judges and other criminal justice professionals place adults with drug-related offenses into the appropriate care setting. RANT optimally targets resources for improved public safety and public health outcomes by matching those clients to appropriate services. It is used as part of a comprehensive approach to improve outcomes and reduce recidivism and is backed by three decades of research focused on helping court personnel and treatment providers improve client outcomes.
“Our customers can expect the same secure and efficient process that they already rely on to obtain client-level reporting. They will notice a streamlined interface, enhanced features, and expanded compatibility with top-used browsers,” said Meghan Love, Product Director, PHMC. “We are proud to host RANT in more than 450 courts nationwide, including its statewide implementation in several states.”
More than 25% of all arrests that are made in the U.S. are related to drug offenses. Additionally, more than two thirds of U.S. jail and prison inmates, parolees, and probationers have significant problems related to drugs and alcohol. RANT is derived from years of research showing that the most positive outcomes in terms of both public health and public safety are achieved when individuals who have drug-related offenses are matched to services and supervision with consideration of their criminogenic risk and clinical need profile.
“Using a standardized evidence-based tool like RANT to identify who may be most appropriate for drug court substantially reduces the subjectivity and bias that can occur during the selection process. In this way, the RANT can help to promote fair and equitable access to drug court programs,” said Dr. Karen Dugosh, Senior Research Scientist, PHMC and one of the developers of the RANT tool.
RANT provides a brief client risk/needs assessment that can be administered by program personnel in 15 minutes or less. Simple screens guide users through the 19 items individually and instantly provides client-level reporting upon completion. The easily understandable RANT report places clients into one of four risk/needs quadrants each with direct implications for the optimal level of criminal justice supervision and behavioral health care. The report also lists the specific risk and needs factors that may negatively impact the client’s success.
Existing RANT customers are being rolled over to the new system throughout 2022 and it is available for immediate purchase to new courts. Watch this introduction video to learn more or visit https://research.phmc.org/products/criminal-justice-tools.
About Public Health Management Corporation
Public Health Management Corporation (PHMC) is a nonprofit public health institute that creates and sustains healthier communities. PHMC uses best practices and evidence-based guidelines to improve community health through direct service, partnership, innovation, policy, research, technical assistance and a prepared workforce. PHMC has served the region since 1972. For more information on PHMC, visit www.phmc.org.
The Research & Evaluation Group at PHMC collaborates with government, community-based organizations, academia, local and national non-profit organizations to improve programs and advance health equity in communities across the U.S. The work of this multidisciplinary team includes original research to build the evidence base of effective public health interventions, local and national program evaluations, community needs assessments, and dissemination of evidence-based tools. The team is committed to culturally responsive, participatory methods of research and evaluation using a range of approaches that include observations, surveys, interviews, focus groups, and policy analysis. For more information on the Research & Evaluation Group, visit. www.research.phmc.org.
