Mental Health, Risk Assessment, and Probation Outcomes: Examining the Impact of Mental Health in the Utilization of the Texas Risk Assessment System (TRAS)

Individuals with mental health conditions are overly represented in probation populations. This study examines whether the Texas Risk Assessment System (TRAS) levels mediate the relationship between mental health needs and probation outcomes using a sample of 462 felony probationers from a Texas county. TRAS classifications were significantly associated with supervision failure, and mediation analyses identified a significant indirect association between mental health indicators and supervision failure through risk classification. The findings warrant further examination of how risk assessment practices intersect with recorded mental health indicators and supervision outcomes, alongside efforts to provide responsive mental health support within supervision systems.