Pre-Sentence Report for the Court

Pre-Sentence
Report for the
Court
This leaflet will explain to you what a
Pre-Sentence Report for the Court is, how
the report is written and why it is needed.
Making local communities safer by challenging
and changing offenders’ behaviour
What is a Pre-Sentence Report?
If you have been convicted of an offence at
court a Probation Officer will write information
about you in a report for the Court. This
report is called a Pre-Sentence Report or
a PSR.
The report is used to assist the court in
deciding what the sentence will be in
your case.
You will be offered the opportunity to read
the report. If you think anything in the report
is incorrect, tell your Probation Officer or
Solicitor and he/she can tell the Court.
How is the Pre-Sentence
Report written?
You will have an interview with a Probation
Officer—there may be more than 1 interview,
1 in a probation office and 1 in your home.
A Probation Officer will arrange a time to
interview you.
If you are under 18 years old your parents or
guardians will be with you.
You must tell the Probation Officer if
you cannot make it to the interview by
telephoning them or their office. It is up
to you to make sure you can go to the
interview so that the report can be written
for the Court in time.
The Probation Officer will have to tell
the Court if you do not turn up for an
interview and a report cannot be written.
What does the Court want
to know?
The Court wants to know and the
Probation Officer will ask you about:
• What you think about what you did
and what you think about the victims
of your offence
• Other offences you have been convicted of
• Your personal circumstances for example,
your family, any addictions or difficulties
you have and whether or not you are
working.
To get all of the information for the report the
Probation Officer may have to talk to other
people who know you. They will tell you who
they need to talk to.
The Probation Officer will also talk with
you about some of the sentences the Court
may choose to give you and what these
would mean.
The Court will decide what the sentence
will be.
Who sees the PSR?
• You
• The Probation Officer
• Your solicitor
• The prosecution lawyers
• The Judge or Magistrates
• If you go to prison or Juvenile Justice
Centre or Young Offenders Centre the
person in charge there
The victim in your case may get information
about your sentence only, NOT any personal
information about you.
What is expected of you?
Probation Officers work hard to provide you
with an excellent service, and deserve to be
treated, as they treat you, with respect and
courtesy.
Your Probation Officer will not accept acts
of violence, physical aggression, threats or
verbal abuse. If you behave in any of these
ways the police may be told and legal action
could follow.
We may not interview any one who we
believe to be behaving in an unacceptable
way, or whom we believe is under the
influence of alcohol or drugs.
What do you do if you are not
happy with how you have been
treated by the Probation Board?
You can speak to the Probation Officer,
their Manager or contact:
The Complaints Officer,
PBNI Headquarters
80/90 North Queen St, Belfast, BT1 1LD
T: 028 90262400
You will be contacted by the Complaints
Officer within 5 working days.
© PBNI June 2013
Useful contacts
Belfast offices
Assessment Unit, HQ
Inspire Project, North Street
ISU, Alderwood
ISU, Great Patrick Street
Programme Delivery Unit
Public Protection Team
Victim Information Scheme
North - Antrim Road
East - Newtownards Road
South - Ormeau Road
West - Andersonstown Road
028 9026 2400
028 9026 2515
028 9064 4953
028 9029 6010
028 9033 3332
028 9025 9576
028 9032 1972
028 9075 7631
028 9073 9445
028 9064 7156
028 9060 2988
Offices outside Belfast
Armagh
Ballymena
Coleraine
Dungannon
Enniskillen
Lisburn (includes Youth Justice Team)
Crawford Square, Londonderry
Limavady Road, Londonderry
Magherafelt
Newry
Newtownards
Omagh
Portadown
028 3752 5243
028 2565 2549
028 7035 3141
028 8772 2866
028 6632 4383
028 9267 4211
028 7126 4774
028 7134 6701
028 7963 3341
028 3026 3955
028 9181 7778
028 8224 6051
028 3833 3301
Prison Teams
H M P Maghaberry
H M P Magilligan
H M YOC & P Hydebank
028 9261 6772
028 7775 0434
028 9049 4100
PBNI Headquarters
80/90 North Street
BELFAST, BT1 1LD
T: 028 9026 2400
F: 0300 123 3290
E: [email protected]
www.pbni.org.uk