Staff from Suffolk Probation Area are always present when courts in Suffolk are sitting. These courts include Ipswich Crown Court and Magistrates' Courts based in Ipswich, Lowestoft, Bury St Edmunds, Mildenhall and Sudbury.
Preparing reports for the court
Probation staff help judges and magistrates pick the most appropriate sentence for defendants by preparing Pre Sentence Reports (PSRs).
Standard PSRs are in-depth reports, written after a probation officer has interviewed the defendant, probing into the cause of his or her offending and recommending appropriate programmes aimed at rehabilitating the offender and preventing further crime. These must be completed within three weeks, or two weeks for cases where the defendant is remanded in custody.
Fast delivery PSRs are on-the-day written assessments which outline which community sentence would be most appropriate for magistrates to consider.
Giving information
Probation staff are on hand to make sure offenders understand what has happened once they have been sentenced and check if they have any special requirements.
They also handle enquiries and give information to magistrates and judges, such as advising them on suitable bail arrangements.
