ABSTRACT
There now exists a considerable body of research across a number of diverse jurisdictions on how pre-sentence reports are prepared, their quality, and their impact on sentencing; the issue of diversity in reports in terms of the reproduction of already deeply rooted gender and racial discrimination; and not least, the impact of the introduction of actuarial risk assessment into traditionally welfare-oriented reports. This chapter examines the main findings of this body of research. It also explores the origins and early development of PSRs as well as the key policy imperatives typically associated with them.
