If sentencing cannot be done on the day, the court will delay sentencing until a pre-sentence report has been prepared. A probation officer will write a report about you and your personal circumstances. In cases where a sentence of home detention or community detention is being considered, information must be included about the suitability of the proposed curfew address or home detention residence, including the safety and welfare of other occupants. It will also include an assessment of your risk of reoffending.
The judge gives this report considerable weight in determining the sentence. These reports contain more detail than stand-down reports. It’s important that you co-operate with probation officers when reports are being prepared, as a failure to co-operate will be reported to the court. These reports are often done closer to sentencing, to include any updated circumstances affecting your situation.