Project Overview
The Judicial Conference of Indiana is charged with developing a standard Presentence Investigation (PSI) Report to be used by all courts in Indiana. [IC 11-13-1-8(b)(4)] Indiana statute also requires a Probation Officer to complete a PSI Report on all felony cases, except level 6 felonies where the PSI option may be waived. [IC 35-38-1-8] During 2010 and 2011, the Probation Officer Advisory Board, under the direction of the Indiana Office of Court Services, worked to revise the standard PSI Report in order to incorporate new information, primarily risk assessment details.
These changes were made as a result of new statewide policies, implemented by the Indiana Judicial Conference Board of Directors and the Indiana Department of Correction, to mandate the use of the electronic version of the Indiana Youth Assessment System (IYAS) and the Indiana Risk Assessment System (IRAS) for juvenile and adult offenders, both of which are housed in the INcite Risk Assessment Application. The PSI Report and the associated risk assessment are intended to provide the sentencing judge with information about an offender’s potential risks and needs, allowing the trial court to provide an appropriate sentence, supervision plan and treatment services.
In mid-2011, Court Technology began developing the new PSI Report as an INcite Application. The Judicial Conference Board of Directors adopted the revised PSI Report for use in the INcite Application in June. In November, the PSI application was deployed in a pilot phase to five Indiana probation departments, including Marion, Tippecanoe, Monroe, Dearborn, and Blackford counties. On January 3, 2012, the PSI Application was made available statewide to over 850 probation department staff.
How It Works
Once a presentence investigation is ordered by the court, the probation officer will schedule an interview with the defendant. Upon completion of the interview, the probation officer will score the assessment using the new Risk Assessment INcite application. The probation officer should then continue on to the PSI Report. Following these steps will ensure the officer can digitally associate a completed risk assessment to the PSI Report they are preparing.
Users also have the ability to attach external documents to the PSI. For example, the user can attach probable cause affidavits, statements from the defendant, as well as statements from the victim. After completing the PSI Report, the probation officer can then print an official copy that will be filed with the court.
The next phase of the project will include the development of a digital version of the Abstract of Judgment. The Abstract of Judgment is a Department of Correction (DOC) form required by statute to be completed whenever a defendant is sentenced to DOC. The court will have the ability to attach the Judgment of Conviction and Sentencing Order to the Abstract of Judgment and the PSI Report. All of these documents will then be made available to the DOC via INcite. A central repository of these documents enables DOC staff to have all information needed to expedite the processing of a person who has been sentenced to the Department. [IC 35-38-1-14]
Project Benefits
- INcite is free to all agencies.
- Probation departments now have a standardized electronic means for completing a PSI Report, which ensures consistency in how information is presented to trial courts across the state.
- Probation departments can view completed PSI Reports statewide, a concept that was not widespread prior to INcite due to many departments not sharing information back and forth.
- For repeat offenders, probation officers have the ability to create a new PSI Report utilizing information stored from a previous report. This is invaluable when compiling the legal history of an offender.
- The PSI Facesheet can be completed as a separate document to promote compliance with IC 35-38-1-8(c). This statute requires that a report be completed for level 6 felony cases that previously had the PSI waived, but the defendant is committed later to DOC or a community corrections program.
- DOC staff will be able to retrieve the PSI Report directly from INcite. This results in cost savings, process efficiencies, timelier communication, and fewer resources needed to track down missing paperwork.
Contact Information
If you would like more information about the PSI Application project, please email Lisa Thompson at lisa.thompson@courts.in.gov or call 317.234.6586 or (toll free) 888.275.5822.
Example chart from PSI Application. The defendant's overall risk assessment level and the level for each domain section is included in the PSI Report.