Probation Process in the US - Essay Example

The judge requests the report especially while dealing with felony cases (Clear, Cole, & Reisig, 2008).
The Presentencing Investigation report is a core source of information used by judges when sentencing. It provides information on the personal history as well as the criminal conduct of the defendant. This ensures that judges give individualized sentences. Moreover, the report contains information such as the age of the defendant, which helps the judge decide on the appropriate sentence. Furthermore, the report helps the judge to decide if the defendant should serve a jail term and the appropriate kind of correction facility to send the defendant (Clear, Cole, & Reisig, 2008).

The factors considered in the report include the prior criminal convictions, account of the offense, work history as well vocational information of the defendant, marital and financial status of the defendant, educational background, defendant and victim’s statements, sentencing guidelines, and sentencing recommendations. Additional factors considered include the medical, psychiatric, or psychological history of the defendant and the explanation of harm suffered by the victim. Another factor considered in the report is the defendant’s probable adjustment in the community (Clear, Cole, & Reisig, 2008). Read More