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The Probation Service is responsible for producing Pre-Sentence Reports (PSRs) when they are requested by the Court. A PSR includes a sentencing recommendation based on an offender's individual circumstances and consideration of public protection concerns, alongside suitable rehabilitative and punitive requirements.<\/p>

A PSR can be delivered to Courts in a range of formats including the longer written Standard Delivery Report (SDR), and the Short Format Report (SFR) which can be delivered in written or oral format.<\/p>

The key principles for decisions on the format of report delivery to Court are:<\/p>

  1. What information is available to the PSR author and the Court on the day of sentence. Access to information regarding risk from other agencies does inform the risk assessment and so can affect proposals to the court. Where this information is not available on the day, the impact of this needs to be assessed to determine whether a longer adjournment is needed.<\/li>
  2. Complexity of the risk assessment. The presence of factors that require additional assessment, professional discussion, and / or multiple enquiries to aid risk assessment has an important bearing on whether reports should be delivered on the day of request or adjourned for further assessment.<\/li><\/ol>

    As a general rule all report types are suitable for use across the sentencing thresholds. Guidance is available for probation staff to assist them in determining when to request for a longer adjournment to facilitate an SDR report.<\/p>

    The Probation Service is working on a range of initiatives to increase the number of cases in which the Courts receive written reports. These are:<\/p>