Justice Social Work Reports
If someone is convicted of an offence, the Court may ask for a Justice Social Work Report (JSWR) to be written.
This is a report prepared by a Social Worker and used to help the Court decide which sentence is most appropriate taking into consideration public protection, the impact on the victim and/or the local community and the needs of the individual who has offended.
The report must comment upon:
- the individual’s current circumstances, personal and social background
- the impact of the offence on the victim(s)
- the individual’s attitude to and understanding of their offending behaviour
- an assessment of the risk of re-offending
- the community disposals that are available and which one could be most effective in reducing the risk of further offending
The most disposals the Court may impose are:
- Custody
- Financial Penalty
- Community Payback Order
- Restriction of Liberty Order
- Drug Treatment and Testing Order
- Deferred Sentence
- Admonition
There is more information available on the Community Sentences, Custodial Sentences and Reducing Reoffending pages.