Criminal Justice: Assessment and reports

 

Risk assessment
Social Enquiry reports
Throughcare reports
 

Background

 

Glasgow City Council provides courts and other partner agencies in the criminal justice system with professional assessment and reports to assist rehabilitation and community safety.

Assessment precedes a planned intervention which addresses those factors in the person’s lifestyle which contribute to their offending behaviour.

Reports use structured risk assessment tools, address offending behaviour and take place throughout the intervention.

 

Risk assessment

 

Risk assessment is an important part of social work practice in the criminal justice system. Social workers assess the risk of re-offending and possible harm to others when preparing social enquiry and other reports. They also assess the risk posed by offenders supervised in the community on statutory orders or licences.

Glasgow City Council uses the Level Of Service Inventory - Revised (LSI-R) in all reports.


This tool uses a combination of factors, such as:

  • age at first offence, prior criminal history
  • substance abuse
  • specific assessment tools, for example those used with sex offenders

In the case of those offenders considered high risk, Glasgow City Council has implemented a risk assessment guidance framework developed by the Scottish Executive which provides a structure for comprehensive assessment of the potential risk factors.

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Social Enquiry Reports

 

Social enquiry reports are prepared to assist the court in its sentence deliberations. The report covers certain areas:

  • information
  • offenders’ circumstances
  • offenders’ character
  • offenders’ physical and mental condition
  • offending behaviour
  • feasibility of community based disposals
  • motivation of the offender to comply
  • programme suitability/availability
  • need for post-custodial supervision
  • assessment of risk of:

    • re-offending
    • harm to self
    • harm to others

Working principles:

  • an impartial, professional service to the courts (not to the offender)
  • report writer accountable to court and to manager
  • Glasgow City Council accountable to court and the Scottish Executive for performance to National Standards
  • reports must be prepared by qualified social workers (or students undertaking professional training who are supervised by qualified staff)

Offenders have a right to know report contents and are entitled to explanations:

  • why report is prepared
  • why specific areas of enquiry are relevant.
  • the social enquiry report may have wide circulation - publicly in court, to prison service in event of custodial disposal, to Parole Board in connection with pre-release decisions

Glasgow City Council is required to produce social enquiry reports for local courts and other courts across Great Britain. Reports are prepared for:

  • all young offenders under the age of 21
  • all adult offenders who may be sentenced to custody for the first time
  • any other case where the sentencer feels that there is a need for additional information prior to proceeding with sentence

The High Court in Scotland can also request a background report.  This pre-trial report does not discuss the alleged offence or offending behaviour and is only used by the court in the event that the individual is found guilty.

 

Reports can also include specific assessments requested by the court or identified by the worker as a method of protecting the public. An example is the change programme assessment used in cases of domestic violence.

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Throughcare reports

 

When a prisoner is due to be considered for release on parole or life licence, a throughcare report is provided to assist the decision making process.

 

Reports need to:

  • analyse offending
  • analyse risks of re-offending post release
  • assess the critical issue of community safety
  • assess individual needs (including risk assessment resulting in clearly stated intervention plans)

The criminal justice social worker will also contribute to the sentence planning process.  This requires linking with prison based staff to share information relative to the assessment of risk and identifying issues which may influence the resettlement prospects of the prisoner.

 

Contact details

 

For contact information see useful links

 

For information on how to comment or complain on the service you receive see Your Views


 

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