Pre-sentence Reports

While looking at research done in Scotland and Canada, Pre-sentence reports (PSR), which are noted as Social Enquiry Reports within Scotland, are considered to be a key and influential aspect within their Criminal Justice System and the decision process on the subject of sentencing a custodial or non-custodial sentencing. While the idea of PSR’s are simple, to provide the court with personal information about the offender, such as circumstances that proved to be such a challenge, that he or she had abnormally excelled and expressed the ability to change for the better, and or have demonstrated that they have had a faulty character that could proveproves that a harsher sentencing is appropriate, or any other relevant information that the report writer deemeds necessary for the court (Tata et all., 2008). Being that report writers (Pprobation officers) are supposed to be impartial while creating their report, which may mean revealing some information that could complicate or compromise their goal of an alternative sentencing, they are to use PSR’s as a “selling point” for the judge (Tata et all., 2008). Although it is true that the role of the PSR can be a very useful tool in the Criminal Justice SystemAlthough the usefulness of PSR’s have been becoming more effective and more and have become more popular since the 1990’s, there are obvious discrepancies in perspectives in what the report is supposed to achieve (Tata et all., 2008). These discrepancies of PSR within the judicial system can be proven to be heavily weighted on their interpretation, narratives, realism, and quality. Moreover, in the Canadian study, Jesseman (2005)they take atakes a deeper look at the role of risk assessment has in PSR’s. While the use of PSR’s are con...

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... and Probation Officers. M.A.. Ottowa, Canada: University of Ottowa.

Scottish Executive, (2004). National Objectives for Social Work Services in the Criminal Justice System: Standards Social Enquiry Reports and associated Court Services

Social Work Services Group, (1991). National Objectives and Standards for Social Work Services in the Criminal Justice System

Social Work Services Inspectorate, (1996). Helping the court decide: Report of an inspection of social enquiry reports for the criminal courts. London: HMSO.

Tata, C, (2010). A sense of justice : The role of pre-sentence reports in the production (and disruption) of guilt and guilty pleas. Punishment & Society, 12, 239-261.

Tata, C., Burns, N., Halliday, S., Hutten, N., McNeill, F., (2008). Assisting and Advising the Sentencing Decision Process. The Pursuit of ‘ Quality ’ in Pre-Sentence Reports, 48, 835-855.