This essay will assess the role of the probation service in relation to sentencing. It will begin with an examination of the process of reports, how they are constructed and how they fit into the different models of the criminal justice system. It will then briefly look at the context and climate in which the probation service operates and will then go on to look at the opinions of magistrates and some further evidence of the service's place within the various models of criminal justice.
             One of the key roles of the probation service is to assist the courts in sentencing through the production of reports. Pre -sentence reports (PSR) provide the court with information about the offender's family background, education and behaviour. It will also include a proposal on sentence (Cavadino 2002).
             The information in the report is gathered by a qualified probation officer. As well as an interview with the offender where the majority of information is collected, He/she may also have access to probation records, Crown prosecution documents and police records in order to complete the report. The court will usually adjourn for a period of three weeks while the report is compiled.
             As Whitfield (2001) says " If a Pre-sentence report is to be really useful it has to make the offender 'come alive' – to be understandable in the context of the whole of their life and not just the few minutes of behaviour which has led to them being placed in the dock"
             The key headlines in the report are offence analysis, Offender assessment and the assessment of the risk of harm to public and likiehood of re-offending. The PSR writer will also assess the offender's suitability for a community order.
             As the probation service is a key part of the Criminal Justice System, it is useful to assess how this aspect of the service fits in to the context of the various models of the system put forward by King (1981)
             It ...