Tuesday 19 March 2013

OASys Reports

What is an OASys Report?

OASys, Offender Assessment System, is an IT based system used within the Prison Service and by the Probation Service.

An OASys report is a risk and needs assessment tool. All the information is stored on a database and can be printed out to form a report. It seeks to identify the offender's needs, risk factors and protective factors and classify these needs accordingly. 

OASys reports can be very lengthy documents indeed, and will typically contain the following information:

  • Personal information (name, date of birth etc);
  • Case identification (e.g. date of sentence, sentence length, court name and type);
  • Sources of information which have been used to created the report (e.g. Pre-Sentence Report; Judge's comments/ sentencing remarks; previous OASys reports; victim statements; prison records; probation files; psychiatric/ psychological services);
  • Release date;
  • Home Detention Curfew date;
  • Licence expiry date;
  • Offending information (e.g. previous record; previous convictions);
  • Analysis of offences (brief summary; whether the offence involved violence or had a sexual element etc);
  • Details of the victim (age, ethnicity, relationship with offender);
  • Evidence of motivations and triggers to the offending (e.g. sexual/ financial motivation);
  • Whether the offending was part of a pattern of offending;
  • Whether the offender accepts responsibility for the current offence, and if so, how much;
  • Accommodation;
  • Education, training and employability;
  • Financial management and income;
  • Relationships;
  • Lifestyle and associates;
  • Substance misuse;
  • Emotional well-being;
  • Thinking and behaviour;
  • Attitudes;
  • Risk to children;
  • Risk to himself (e.g. risk of suicide, self-harm).

It is an open process, so the individual who is the subject of the report will often be aware of its content. If an individual refuses to engage in the OASys process, he is still entitled to a copy of it.


What kinds of needs may an offender have?

  • Homelessness;
  • Thinking skills;
  • Relationship problems;
  • Substance misuse.

Why is OASys significant?

OASys assesses risk. Risk is central to the question of release when an offender comes before the PArole Board. Sentence plans are drawn up based on the results of the OASys assessments. Many decisions relating to the individual's sentence plan are based on the accuracy of the OASys assment.


What decisions does OASys affect?

The OASys report will impact on:


  • Categoratisation;
  • Allocation;
  • Incentives and Earned Privileges;
  • Resettlement;
  • Release;
  • Parole review;
  • Release on licence;
  • Release on temporary licence;
  • Drug and alcohol treatment;
  • Work and education;
  • Offending behaviour programmes.

It is therefore central to an individual's sentence plan.


Who has to undergo an OASys assessment?

The following individuals must undergo an OASys assessment:


  • Young offenders with at least four weeks left on their sentence;
  • Prisoners with sentences of four years or more;
  • Lifers;
  • Extended recall offenders (if their recall is for more than one year);
  • Licence recall offenders (if their recall is for more than one year);
  • All offenders sentenced under the Criminal Justice Act 2003.


Will the OASys report be reviewed?

Yes. It must be reviewed annually.


Can the content of the OASys/ sentence plan be challenged?

Yes. Firstly, the prisoner should attempt to resolve the matter internally through the complaints procedure. Alternatively, the sentence plan may be challenged via Judicial Review. Legal advice must be sought.


1 comment:

  1. What a load of bulls..t .the probation are a bunch of liars who should all be locked up !!!!!!

    ReplyDelete