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. If you are aged 16 or 17 years old you can find further information on the Children’s Services pages.