The Presentence Report and the Decision-Making Process

The decision-making process in corrections has seldom been examined. Drawing upon data compiled during the National Institute of Mental Health's San Francisco Project, this study examines some aspects of decision-making at the presentence level. Some factors taken into consideration in this analysis are the order in which data are collected; the significance of various data (offense, prior record, plea, etc.) in reaching a decision; whether certain data are significant in confirming, modifying, or rejecting decisions; and variations among the decision-making styles of individual probation and parole officers.