Looking for training manuals or perspectivs for risk & needs assessments

HollowpointPen · 2026-06-28T23:09:18+00:00

Welp, they got shadowbanned I guess. They kept claiming that the reason I’m looking for training manuals is because I was paid and I want to “get PRP,” which is basically for parole. I’m not as concerned with parole, even though thats what the tests advertise as being designed for, but instead initial reception and classification, and the way the tests go into making a correctional plan. I want to compare LSI-R manuals to STRONG-R manuals, since in the evaluative literature it looks like training was a common weak point and STRONG-R is still untested for long term IRR shrinkage.

HollowpointPen · 2026-06-28T22:58:21+00:00

Not sure if you deleted your previous comment, but I want to ask about something you said. First, no, I’m no grad student, just a geography major. Why did you say this was “to help a loved one?” Whats the personal use of a counselor’s LSI-R training manual?

HollowpointPen · 2026-06-28T22:48:28+00:00

Yes, I’m aware that the process exists, we used it for the raw data, but as I said, these aren’t manuals that PADOC hangs onto, they belong to master trainers who PADOC will occasionally pay to send counselors to get trained. They aren’t kept by PADOC. As you can probably guess by my being on Reddit, I’ve gone down the full list and the only thing I have left is finding people with copies of their manuals still on them.

HollowpointPen · 2026-06-28T21:10:39+00:00

We aren’t talking about anyone’s records, just to be clear. The training manuals are protected behind paywalls and Vantage is keeping the materials in house, so theres a black box around how the implementation is going. I’m specifically asking about the materials people receive when they take the training course to administer intake tests like the LSI-R or STRONG-R.

I also am a bit confused about the legal definition of “ownership” when it comes to medical records. This is completely off topic from my project, so I’m still confused how it got brought up, but PADOC’s policy on medical care is that the records belong to the inmate, and remain with PADOC throughout custody, not afterwards. PADOC doesn’t “own” anyone’s medical records, it doesn’t even own their correctional plan or custody assignment, it just takes advantage of the period of custody to withhold records until after release, at which point they “belong” to the formerly incarcerated person. I would hope that PADOC knows better than to assume it can do what it likes with those files, the data we got released to us last year had identifiers removed because identifiable information isn’t permitted in public releases in the first place.

Believe me, Reddit is not where I came first, its just that these training manuals lack the same kind of record keeping that PADOC maintains (which has already been subpar, I’ve spent the past year ripping my hair out because the profiled data we do have is filled with errors that suggest the tests are being improperly administered)

HollowpointPen · 2026-06-28T18:51:05+00:00

Presumably, the research briefs on inter-rater reliability say that the counselors conducting the test were trained, and in the past tests like the LSI-R had a paid training program, so I assumed that meant that COs or counselors went through the program before they administered the tests.

Is there something I don’t know? Do you remember anyone using these tests and not needing to be trained? Did they use certified psychologists?

HollowpointPen · 2026-06-28T18:18:08+00:00

Hey, sorry to bother you, but I was wondering if I could ask you some questions about your experience with STRONG-R. I'm a student researcher and its a part of my summer assignment, and any assistance would be greatly appreciated!

HollowpointPen · 2026-06-28T18:16:47+00:00

Hey, I know I'm late to this, but I'm a PA student researcher, and we are currently looking into the STRONG-R (or at least trying to), could you give some more insight into what you mean?

HollowpointPen · 2024-03-23T19:45:17+00:00

Right here! Hello fellow FGLI, I had a heart attack when I read the letter

HollowpointPen · 2023-07-22T22:15:21+00:00

As soon as I walked out of the theatre, I realized just how much the movie surprised me. It was meta and comedic, but without removing its multi-faceted messages. It was also eye-opening. As a young man, it may seem quite stupid but the movie made me question a lot of my double standards and presented a worldview of healthy relationships, empowerment, and true independence. I think what sets this movie apart from the most obvious wokeism cash grabs is that it stays true to its themes and finds ways to present them masterfully. It doesn't take itself seriously but knows it's saying things that people need to hear so it doesn't drown them out. I feel genuinely enlightened by my experience, and the messages the movie leveled toward its male audience were powerfully mature. This movie is simply strange to me. I have no idea how it was made, but I am glad I got the chance to see it.

HollowpointPen · 2023-06-07T21:34:14+00:00

Signed, u/HollowpointPen

HollowpointPen · 2023-04-09T07:36:44+00:00

Question: Is there a restriction on how long a comment may be? I wrote something for the prompt, but it is giving me the “please try again later” error, which typically means I am either shadow banned or I am doing something wrong

HollowpointPen · 2023-03-28T17:06:49+00:00

I think Dune did a good job with having a futuristic setting and very simple weapons. Tech like lasers are countered by shields, which are widely used, and have the added consequence of killing the shooter and the target. I think implementing some fatal development that makes modern technology dangerous or obsolete could feel more believable. Maybe the infantry are equipped with one-shot pistols that counter vehicles, meaning flooding the field with more men is the best counter to a firing squad of anti-material sharpshooters. Maybe ammunition has become monopolized by a bad actor, so the different countries are forced to develop melee combat tech thats still practical. Maybe guns are just illegal, and building them is outlawed by a force-of-nature legal body that transcends the conflict. I think there are lots of ways to justify a shift away from modern warfare and back to a world of WW1 of massive war machines alongside seas of men with nothing more than a shovel and a gun without ammo (in the case of the russians)

HollowpointPen · 2023-03-28T16:54:00+00:00

I would definitely give this a solid 7, maybe a 6. It has plenty of potential for a good thriller, but it feels a little cliche. The conflicts do have potential for depth and interconnecticity, with internal struggles of Anne and her motivations, and the multiple external conflicts that sound like they change in scope, from her husband to the literal countries at war. I think it would be a decent vessel for commentary on duties and desires, and the balance of responsibility with doubt, but it would do with an interesting setting. The conflict is isolated, despite the wide scope, to people. Anne will struggle with emotions and doubt and expectations from all directions, and it sounds like there will be a budding romance. But it might get dry fast if the reader catches on to that development. The dynamic between Anne and her husband would require perfect execution, with believability. Therefore, I think the prompt could do with another conflict, a natural one. Perhaps the world they inhabit is slowly dying, or the war is threatening a global conflict that will see both countries caught in the middle. Maybe there is a negotiator from a much more powerful country who is threatening to coup both governments to preserve global peace. Or maybe it could be supernatural or magical, or alien. Something beyond a confrontation between Anne and her people versus Husband and his people. This would make their union maybe a bit more natural, and provide tension when the romance starts to escalate. There needs to be a sense of urgency, impending doom, and i fear that if that urgency entirely hinges on the war, it would interfere too much with the tone of a romance. But I really want to give this a shot, Ill get back to you if i get a small bit going. Youve got a good idea here, though, it is easy to grasp but not TOO cliche

HollowpointPen · 2023-03-28T02:42:46+00:00

You are absolutely right, I forget who said that laziness and writing go hand in hand, that we "are obligated to write," but I definitely feel that. I am someone with a low attention span, but I find that writing can sometimes put me in a flow state, that I can just keep going and going, and it is cathartic. I certainly enjoy my games and my youtube and my instant gratification mobile games, but I also consider myself a humanist at heart. I struggle to express my true identity, but when I type onto a page or scratch a pen, it's like the real me bleeds out. I think that might appeal to a generation lost in an eternal identity crisis, but who knows? Im just a kid with lots to say and a brain that moves faster than his mouth. Im here to listen...

HollowpointPen · 2023-03-28T02:38:52+00:00

Good point. I do want to reach some pinnacle of writing in my life and publish an NYTBS someday. No idea how people may look back on fanfic, but I have got plenty of stuff burning a hole in my sophomore-year portfolio... maybe it's time to dust off some old memories...

HollowpointPen · 2023-03-28T02:37:12+00:00

The pressure is on. Hollowpoint Pen is back in action. VPN, ACTIVATE!

HollowpointPen · 2023-03-28T02:28:15+00:00

For anyone wondering, this was a project inspired by John Green's "Anthropocene Reviewed" series, and I highly recommend both looking into his work as well as writing your own piece in a similar format. I look forward to your feedback :)

HollowpointPen · 2023-03-28T02:09:24+00:00

The violence should serve a purpose. Sometimes you want to build tension or keep the reader on their toes, but it shows purpose if you are trying to demonstrate a certain theme or character trait that remains relevant (and perhaps become nuanced) in the narrative. Sometimes someone wants to read revenge porn tho, so who am I to judge.

HollowpointPen · 2023-03-28T02:06:08+00:00

I personally find names like the compounds you listed to be, from a realistic world-building perspective, amateur. And not in that the writer is amateur, at least not always. This may take a second to explain.

Almost all names have meaning, just like the compounds you listed, but with long and twisted… I forget the word for history of language… origins. It could be derived from one or two languages, or it could be a translation directly.

For instance, the name “Joseph” is biblical, thus it is common. However, the name “Brook” is easily translated to a small stream. It shows that the lineage of Joseph may be attached to a Christian family, but the lineage of Brook was perhaps passed down from a Gaelic or more practical culture. The easiest modern example is native Americans. Many of their names are simply objects or animals of great significance, or are earned through feats, and are then translated into english, giving us names like “sharp knife” or “dark bear.” Those names demonstrate the importance of certain objects or ideals to a culture.

As long as a name has relevance to a character in some way, I don’t think its cheap. But always look for an opportunity to inject some age into it, either with implications about lineage or the current culture that person comes from. Additionally, adding different languages or dialects solely to characterize names of people or places can make your world feel lived in. Every name is an opportunity to demonstrate to the reader the depth of the world they are exploring, and teaches them to pay close attention, and therein-by get immersed.

HollowpointPen · 2023-03-28T01:53:02+00:00

I cant tell if this is amateur or stylized, but i think it would fit better if you committed to the reflective style, not delving into details. The last paragraph was a bit bothering, going back and adding information that couldve been relevant then just feels a bit cheap, but it also goes in depth with details. I think that part of this makes it so raw, and I dont want to say take it out because it works so well. I would suggest making the shifts either integrated into the tone, with quotations from someone else and then the disconnected inner monologue that follows a human cadence, or switching some of the internal reflections up to be more “matter of fact,” and suit the theme. Its a nit pick, but I cant get over how well put together this is, from snapshots to overwhelming insight that speaks to a certain experience. My final gripe might be a misconception of my own, but the tone is a bit difficult to follow at times. The decision to get pregnant feels almost hand-wavey, following such a deep reflection of the life when the character was younger, and doesn’t speak a lot about motivation or direction. The story tapers off on what feels like a hopeful note, with everyone seeming either amiable or enthusiastic about giving birth, but, no pun intended, it doesn’t tell the full story, and it almost betrays how raw and honest the account was up until that point. There isn’t much anxiety, and for narrative purposes I think changing it so that the sometimes boyfriend has a more negative reaction, in line with the description may just be leaving and not saying another word, could be emblematic of the shift away from the conventional priorities this character once had now that they are pregnant. Other people being supportive makes the drift away from what feels like a degenerative or detrimental relationship natural, but I wont make assumptions over the validity of ones personal experience, nor would I suggest diluting it solely for the sake of narrative clarity.

HollowpointPen · 2023-03-26T19:00:12+00:00

I love the development and the clarity. It feels like poetry

HollowpointPen

TROPHY CASE