Pre-sentence report

If a court finds a young person guilty of an offence, the magistrate or judge may ask for a pre-sentence report to help them decide what the sentence will be.

The report gives the court information about what led a young person to break the law, sentence options, and programs and services available to help them.

The court must ask for a report if it is considering giving a young person:

• an intensive supervision order
• a conditional release order
• a detention order.

Interview

First, a Youth Justice officer interviews you and a young person to try to understand:

• why a young person broke the law
• how they feel about it
• how they feel about any victims.

The caseworker may interview you more than once and other people as well.

The interview process usually takes about 3 weeks.

Questions

The Youth Justice officer may ask you about:

• your family
• the young person’s school or work
• the offence
• the young person’s attitude to the victim
• any consequences or punishment the young person has experienced already
• the young person’s behaviour since those consequences
• any other information that the court has requested.

The Youth Justice officer might also talk to you about the court’s options for sentencing and whether the young person would agree to them.

Viewing the report

The Youth Justice officer talks to you about what the final report says but the court decides whether you can see it.

Copies go to:

• the young person’s solicitor
• the police prosecutor
• the court.

You can also speak to the young person's solicitor about the report.

Disagreeing with the report

If you have a problem with the report, contact either the Youth Justice officer who wrote it, or their team leader. You can also speak to the young person's solicitor.

More information

What happens when your child goes to court.