What is a Pre-Sentence Investigation and What is on It?
As part of any felony-based conviction (sometimes on misdemeanors with open terms and by judge’s request), a judge will typically order a pre-sentence investigation or “PSI.” A PSI came out of what is commonly referred to as Evidence Based Practices — a movement where judges wanted to make informed, evidence-based decisions when determining appropriate sentences for defendants. The practice of conducting PSI’s has long been a typical step in federal guilty pleas and sentences, and…