What is a Pre-Sentence Report?
The Youth Offending Service is asked by the Court to prepare a Pre-Sentence Report, sometimes called a ‘PSR’. This is a written report to help the Court consider the choices open to it when you are sentenced.
On leaving the court, you will be given a time and date for an appointment to see a member of the Youth Offending Service. You must keep this appointment and if you are 16 years old or younger your parent or guardian must attend the appointment with you.
Will the Pre-Sentence Report help me?
The role of the Youth Offending Service Officer writing the report is to advise the Court about how suitable you are for sentence it may want to impose.
It is very important that you keep your appointment with the report writer. If you fail to attend the appointment, the writer will have to inform the Court of this, and the Court will view this seriously.
If you have any questions about what you should do at any stage, you should speak to your solicitor or a member of the Youth Offending Service
How is the Pre-Sentence Report prepared?
The appointment you are given on leaving the court is so that the report writer can interview you. This will normally take place at the Youth Offending Service’s Office. A home visit may be arranged, depending on your age and circumstances, if this is the case you will be told.
If you cannot keep this appointment, you must contact the Youth Offending Service straight away to get a new date. Remember, it may be a condition of your bail that you keep appointments and the Court can remand you in custody for a report if you miss appointments. Our address and telephone number are available on this page, to help you get in touch.
You will be offered the oportunity to read the finished Pre-Sentence report before you return to Court.
What does the Pre-Sentence Report contain?
The report will be about you and will contain other information useful to the Court. Each report will contain basic facts of age, your background, previous offences, family and friends. We will speak to your parents/guardians and other people who know you.
Your offence and attitude towards it will be important to the Court and we will discuss this with you. We will also talk about sentences the Court will have available and what you think about each possible sentence.
We will discuss with you any special circumstances or anything you may wish the Court to consider about you or your circumstances, or about your offending. The views of the victim of the offence may also be included in the report.
The aim of the report is to give the Court a balanced view of your circumstances and those of the offence. The Court will want to know about your previous offending and any factors which make your offence more or less serious, and how likely it is that you will offend again.
