Stand-down and deliver

This article considers the recent and rapid evolution of Pre-Sentence Reports (PSRs) in England and Wales, which has entailed changes in both the speed of production and the mode of delivery of reports prepared by probation teams. The article analyses the main drivers behind these changes before going on to consider the implications for how the quality of contemporary reports should be assessed. It argues for a reconsideration of quality in the PSR context: one which takes into account the structural and cultural changes that have impacted upon PSR production in recent years, is flexible enough to cope with the different forms (oral/written) that reports may take, and takes into account the needs and expectations of the key stakeholders involved in the production and use of reports. It concludes that, in the new court culture of speed, timeliness (as featured in current National Standards) is an important quality for PSRs, but as a sole measure of quality it leaves a great deal to be desired.