Introduction
There are three key areas to be addressed when writing a report on an offender:
- issues surrounding victim safety
- the identification of the offender's rehabilitative needs, and
- the offender's suitability for an intervention.
Corroborative enquiries
It is important to obtain corroborative information regarding the offender's behaviour. The offender's partner, family, friends, employer and other agencies are possible sources.
If the victim is contacted, it is important not to expose them to further risk. Informed consent must be obtained and the bounds of confidentiality clearly explained.
Important:
- The victim must not be interviewed in the presence of the offender.
- The offender should be informed that enquiries are to be made.
Victim contact
The probation officer should consider to:
- inform the victim of appropriate support agencies
- provide the victim with information regarding any intervention that the offender is likely to undertake, and
- establish any inter-agency contact considered necessary to protect the victim and potential victims.
Areas to cover with victim
Key areas to cover with the victim are:
- their current relationship with the offender
- whether the victim has access to appropriate support services
- whether the offender has access to children. If so, what are the terms of this access, i.e. unrestricted, unsupervised, supervised.
- whether the victim has a protection order
- their awareness of the purpose of a protection order, and the range of conditions that can be imposed
- a review of the police summary of facts
- a review of the victim impact statement, and
- to obtain the victim's comments regarding the offender's alcohol and drug use.
Legislative reference: The Domestic Violence Act 1995 rule 96 allows a probation officer, for the purpose of writing a pre-sentence report, to request information on protection orders from the registrar of the district court. (The district court registrar then obtains the information from the registrar of the family court).
Areas to cover with others
Key areas to cover when obtaining information from other sources include:
- checking awareness of the source's knowledge of the offender's abusive behaviour
- obtaining comments regarding the offender's alcohol and drug use, and
- the availability of support to the offender and/or victim.
