Your first contact with the National Probation Service is likely to be once you have been convicted of an offence. Before passing sentence, the judge or magistrate (the sentencers) will ask our court duty officer to arrange for a pre sentence report to be written that will recommend the most appropriate sentence for you.

The sentencers will want the sentence to fulfil one or more purposes. These are:

• Rehabilitation
• Protection of the public
• Reduction of crime (preventing you from reoffending)
• Punishment
• Reparation to the person affected by your offence

The court will also tell our officer how serious they consider your offence to be and whether they are considering custody.

Your pre sentence report

What is a pre sentence report?

An officer of the probation service will interview you and compile the report. This may be on the day or you may have to attend a probation office on another day and then return to court at a later date. The type of report that we write about you depends on the seriousness of your offence, whether you have offended before and what the court wants to know. The most in depth report is known as a standard pre sentence report. The fast delivery report is less detailed.

If we write a standard pre sentence report this will be done within the time scale set by the courts, usually 15 days.

If you are remanded in custody we will either visit you in prison or interview you via video link.

If we write a fast delivery report, this will be done within five working days and, where possible, on the same day.

What is in the report?

We will ask you why you committed the offence, your feelings towards any victims and any mitigating factors. We will also look at whether there was any additional culpability, for example was the  damage or violence inflicted more than was necessary or whether the victim was particularly vulnerable.

In compiling the report we will also look at the risk that you pose to others and your chances of re-offending. Once the report has been compiled it will be presented to the court. The police will not see the report but a copy will be provided for you and your defence solicitor.

Download our Pre sentence report leaflet (PDF - 196k)

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What happens next?

Once the report has been presented to the court a sentence will be passed. This will either be a:

• Discharge
• Fine
• Community order
• Custody

You will have no further involvement with the probation service if you receive a discharge or a fine.

Community order

A community order will be imposed for offences that are serious but not so serious as to warrant custody. A generic community order will be imposed and the court can choose from 12 requirements to add to the order. The requirements are:

• Supervision
• Prohibited activity (something you are not allowed to do)
• Exclusion (an area where you are not allowed to go)
• Curfew
• Education, training and employment (specified activity) requirements
• Unpaid work
• An offending behaviour programme
• Attendance centre
• Drug rehabilitation
• Mental health treatment
• Alcohol treatment
• Residence

For less serious offences you may receive just one requirement as part of your order. For more serious offences, or if this is not your first offence, you may receive  three or four requirements. Supervision by the probation service is usually one of the requirements.

If you fail to comply with the sentence you can be returned to court where you will usually receive a more severe penalty.

Custody

There are a range of custodial sentences that can be passed. Find out more about custody.