Sentencing Advocacy Group · Free PSR preparation guide
25 Questions a Probation Officer Asks During the Presentence Interview
Know the questions. Prepare your answers. Get the 25-question presentence interview guide.
Joseph De Gregorio, founder and president of Sentencing Advocacy Group, writes on federal sentencing for the American Bar Association and Bloomberg Law. Get his guide to 25 questions a probation officer asks during the presentence interview, featured in The Mitigation Revolution.
Enter your name, email address and phone number—all three are required—to get the guide. After your signup is accepted, open the 25 questions immediately.
Prepare to discuss your background, the offense, accountability, rehabilitation and future plans. The wording and order of questions vary by probation officer and case.
Need individual preparation support? Explore PSR preparation → or request a Private Case Review →.
One focused guide. A more prepared conversation.
How to use the 25-question guide
Start before the interview. Write notes in your own words, identify records that support your answers, and bring unclear or offense-related questions to your attorney. The guide helps you prepare an accurate account; it does not supply answers to memorize.
For a practical overview before you sign up, read how to prepare for a federal presentence investigation interview →.
Organize what matters.
Reflect on your background, relationships and the facts that give your history context.
Explain your own actions.
Prepare thoughtful, accurate answers about responsibility and harm. Discuss offense-related questions with your attorney.
Support your next steps.
Identify what you have changed and what records support your rehabilitation and future plans.
This is a separate signup for the 25-question guide. For the broader collection of lessons, checklists and tools, visit the Federal Sentencing Preparation Center →.
Questions about the preparation guide
What is the 25-question guide?
It is a guide to 25 questions a probation officer asks during the presentence interview, featured in Joseph De Gregorio’s American Bar Association article, The Mitigation Revolution. The questions cover your background, the offense, accountability, rehabilitation and future plans.
Are these the exact questions my probation officer will ask?
The guide covers 25 presentence interview questions. The exact wording, order and follow-up questions vary by probation officer and case; it is not an official fixed questionnaire.
How should I use the guide with my attorney?
Write truthful notes in your own words, identify supporting records, and discuss unclear or offense-related questions with defense counsel. Do not memorize someone else’s answers.
How do I receive the guide?
Complete the signup with your name, email address, phone number and contact permission. After your signup is accepted, you can open the guide immediately.
Read Joseph De Gregorio’s press and publication record or apply for a private case review.
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Educational preparation resources. Individual circumstances and current rules control. BOP determines program admission, placement and sentence computation; courts determine sentencing and judicial relief. No outcome is guaranteed.