When to Prepare a Short Assessment

Can be prepared on the day requested

A short assessment report can be prepared and presented to the court on the day it is requested.

Note: Short assessment reports are sometimes remanded off to another day by the judiciary. However, probation officers should still seek to complete the short report on the same day if this is possible.

If a sentence of community detention (CD) is being considered, an appendix relating to the details of this sentences should also be provided.

If the short report is to canvass a sentence of community detention, then a remand period is required to complete the appendix enquiries.

When to carry out assessment

The short assessment should be used where the file review indicates the likelihood of the following sentences:

• community detention (CD)
• CW, supervision
• fines, reparation
• discharge: with/without conviction, come up if called

It is not considered appropriate to recommend a term of imprisonment in a short assessment report. This is because the pre-sentence report should canvass special conditions to be imposed as release on conditions after a short prison sentence, as well as alternatives to prison, so the court can consider all options before a decision.

May be used to recommend a cumulative sentence

If an offender is already on community detention or home detention, a short report can be used to recommend a cumulative sentence of the same type as the existing sentence on the following grounds:

• The cumulative sentence would be served at the address it is currently being served at.
• Occupant consent for the new sentence can be easily obtained within the timeframes of completing the short report.

When to change to a full assessment

During the short assessment it may become apparent that the offender no longer meets the criteria for this assessment. The short assessment should be stopped and a full assessment undertaken.

The judge may need to be advised that a further remand is required so a full assessment can be conducted. This could occur in the following circumstances:

• It becomes apparent that the offender has a complex or substantial offending history.
• The offender has complex rehabilitative needs.