A total of 2,709 case files were reviewed in search of offender and offense characteristics in cases for which judges requested presentence reports. interviews were held with 26 judges to ascertain criteria on which they requested reports, sections of the reports they most frequently used in decisionmaking, and criteria by which they evaluated report quality. Results indicated that 701 (25.9 percent) offenders on whom reports were requested had had disrupted family backgrounds as children and had been in institutional residential placement. Of those between age 18 and 25, 69 percent had been raised in substitute environments. Of the total subjects, 43.2 percent were supported by some form of social welfare (veterans' pensions, unemployment benefits, etc.), while the remainder had worked for wages. A majority (1,558) were found guilty, and 1,170 of these were between 18 and 25 years old. More than half were recidivists. Preparation of a presentence report costs between $600 and $900; uniform reporting formats should be instituted to improve quality of data presentation. Tabular data and 93 references are given.