What is a Pre-Sentence Report?

Sometimes, someone may ask for a pre-sentence report (a "PSR") to be prepared before you are sentenced. The judge sentencing you may want this report prepared or the Prosecutor or you or your lawyer may request it. A PSR is a written document, usually completed by a probation officer. It talks about the offence you committed, some of your personal circumstances, your risk to re-offend and the resources available to you depending on the type of sentence you receive. The person writing the report will interview you and may ask to interview other people in your life, especially people who may help you complete a sentence in the community (like probation or a conditional sentence).

Gladue factors are often included in a pre-sentence report and the writer of the report will usually have received training about how to review and write about these factors. However, a PSR cannot replace a full Gladue Submission and it cannot be written by you or your lawyer. Although a PSR may include Gladue factors, it may also be more focused on your risk of re-offending and less focused on the personal circumstances that may have led you to commit the crime. A PSR may take less time to complete than a full Gladue submission and sometimes, depending on how serious the offence and the possible punishment is, a person may choose to simply rely on the Gladue factors included in a PSR.