NCJ Number
138755
Date Published
1992
Length
36 pages
Annotation
The British Criminal Justice Act of 1991 requires courts to consider a presentence report (PSR) before imposing a custodial sentence or an intensive community sentence. This handbook is designed to help probation officers and social workers produce PSRs that satisfy the statute's provisions.
Abstract
The Criminal Justice Act outlines criteria for custodial and community sentences, as well as circumstances in which they are required by the courts. A PSR must include an analysis of the current offense, relevant information about the offender, and the social worker's or probation officer's proposed sentence for the offender. This handbook discusses good practices in preparing PSRs, selecting proposals in PSRs, considerations related to protecting the public from serious harm, and parental responsibility. Separate chapters cover race and gender issues in regard to PSRs, procedures for producing PSRs in Crown Courts, and quality control issues. 2 appendixes.