Every Day, the Pressure Builds.

Every day that passes without action leaves less time to assess risk, address barriers, and document change. Early referral reduces pressure by giving your client the time needed to build documented evidence of change, strengthen plea negotiations, and improve sentencing outcomes.

The Sentencing Map℠ is how Missouri criminal defense attorneys put that time to work.

Evidence-Based. Structured. Documented.

Each service begins with validated screening instruments and structured interview protocols designed to identify what brought your client here, what is keeping them stuck, and what needs to change.

They document the steps your client takes to address those needs, in real time, before sentencing.
They give you a credible, evidence-based record to present at sentencing or use in plea negotiations.
For felony cases, the process is grounded in the Risk-Need-Responsivity framework used by courts and corrections professionals nationwide.
The process works because it starts early, follows a structured process, and produces documented proof rather than promises.

The Sentencing Map℠

Plea negotiation infrastructure. Built before sentencing.

The Sentencing Map℠ is designed for early referral. Every day that passes without action leaves less room to assess risk, address barriers, and document change. The earlier you refer, the more the process can accomplish.

The screening appointment

Your client appears for a screening appointment at my office in Springfield. No advance preparation is required. The appointment runs approximately one and a half to two hours. If your client is incarcerated or lives more than an hour from Springfield, the appointment can be conducted by video.

During the appointment I administer the full screening battery and conduct the structured interview. At the end of the appointment your client receives The Map and the Way workbook and instructions for the work ahead.

What your client does next

Your client reads through the workbook, begins gathering documents, and identifies who will write character letters. All documentation goes to you, the referring attorney, unless I am writing a full report, in which case it comes to me.

This is intentional. The goal of an early referral is to resolve the case favorably before sentencing. The documentation your client gathers becomes your leverage in plea negotiations. You become familiar with that material. If the case ultimately requires a full report, you already have it and can forward it to me.

What you receive

The Brief Screening Report is delivered to you within two business days of the screening appointment. It contains the screening findings, the Mitigation Action Plan, and a mitigation narrative. It is written for you, to inform your strategy, support your plea negotiations, and give you a documented basis for the argument you are making on your client’s behalf.

You decide what to do with it. You may share it with the prosecutor. You may present it to the judge. You may use it to structure a conversation about resolution. That is a strategic decision that belongs to you.

The goal of an early referral is to create enough documented evidence of change to resolve the case favorably before sentencing. The Sentencing Map℠ is plea negotiation infrastructure as much as it is mitigation preparation.

Timeline

Day of referral	Attorney contacts Souder. Client scheduled for screening appointment.
Screening appointment	One and a half to two hours. Brief Screening Report delivered within two business days.
Building the record of change	Client completes workbook assignments, gathers documents, secures character letters.
Documents returned	To attorney, for use in plea negotiations.
If full report needed	Attorney forwards gathered documents to Souder. Felony Sentencing Report built on the completed Sentencing Map℠ foundation.

The Felony Sentencing Report

A complete mitigation record. Built for contested sentencing.

The Felony Sentencing Report is for cases that proceed to a contested sentencing hearing. It is built on the Sentencing Map℠ foundation: the screening findings, the completed workbook, and the documented record of change your client has built in the time between charge and sentencing.

If you referred your client early and the Sentencing Map℠ process is already complete, most of the foundational work is done. The report synthesizes what already exists and adds the full narrative, clinical analysis, and mitigation argument the court needs.

The re-interview

Before writing the report I conduct a re-interview with your client. This allows me to review what has changed since the initial screening, assess the progress made through the workbook process, and gather any additional information needed for the full report.

If your client was not previously seen for a Sentencing Map℠, the re-interview is replaced by the full initial screening appointment. The process is the same; it simply begins at that point rather than building on existing work.

What the report contains

The Felony Sentencing Report is a comprehensive mitigation document. It includes the full screening findings, a detailed social history, an analysis of identified risk factors and barriers, and a documented record of the steps your client has taken to address them. It also includes a formal mitigation narrative and sentencing recommendations.

The report is written for the court. It is evidence-based, professionally formatted, and designed to give the judge a complete picture of who your client is, what brought them here, and what they have done about it.

What you receive

You receive the completed report in advance of the sentencing hearing. You also receive the supporting documents your client gathered through the workbook process: character letters, certificates of completion, verification of treatment participation, and any other documentation relevant to mitigation.

You decide how to present it. The report is yours to use as you see fit in the courtroom.

The strongest Felony Sentencing Reports are built on a completed Sentencing Map℠. When your client has had months to build a documented record of change, the report does not have to argue potential. It documents what has already happened.

Timeline

Day of referral	Attorney contacts Souder. Client scheduled for screening or re-interview appointment.
Screening or re-interview	One and a half to two hours. Existing Sentencing Map℠ foundation reviewed and updated.
Supporting documents gathered	Attorney forwards all workbook documentation, character letters, and supporting materials to Souder.
Report drafted	Felony Sentencing Report written and delivered to attorney in advance of sentencing hearing.
Sentencing hearing	Attorney presents the completed report and supporting documentation to the court.

The DWI Report

Targeted screening. A documented picture for the court.

The DWI Report is a standalone service for misdemeanor and municipal DWI cases. It runs on a separate track from the felony reporting process and is designed to be completed efficiently, typically well in advance of the sentencing or plea hearing.

Most DWI clients are not career criminals. They are people who made a serious mistake, many of whom have no prior record and no identified substance dependence. The DWI Report gives the court an accurate, evidence-based picture of who your client is and what level of intervention is actually warranted.

The screening appointment

Your client appears for a screening appointment at my office in Springfield. The appointment runs approximately one to one and a half hours. Video appointments are available for clients who are incarcerated or live more than an hour from Springfield.

The DWI screening battery is targeted to the specific risk profile of DWI cases. It includes a comprehensive alcohol and substance use questionnaire, a social history component, and validated screening instruments appropriate to the case type. Your client does not need to prepare anything in advance.

What your client does next

Following the appointment your client receives the DWI workbook. It is shorter and more focused than the full mitigation workbook. It guides your client through gathering the documents that support the report — evidence of treatment participation, character letters, and any steps already taken to address the identified concerns.

Those documents come to you. You decide what to present and how.

What you receive

You receive a written DWI Report within two business days of the screening appointment. The report contains the screening findings, a summary of identified risk factors, and a documented picture of your client’s life circumstances relevant to the charge. It is written for the court: concise, credible, and evidence-based.

If the screening identifies significant substance dependence or co-occurring concerns, I will note that in the report and include appropriate recommendations. You decide how to use that information strategically.

A DWI Report does not argue that your client’s behavior was acceptable. It gives the court an accurate picture of who your client is — and an evidence-based basis for a proportionate response.

Timeline

Day of referral	Attorney contacts Souder. Client scheduled for DWI screening appointment.
Screening appointment	One to one and a half hours. DWI Report delivered within two business days.
Building the record of change	Client completes DWI workbook, gathers supporting documents and character letters.
Documents returned	To attorney, for use at the plea or sentencing hearing.
Hearing	Attorney presents the DWI Report and supporting documentation to the court.

Ready to Refer a Client?

At sentencing, your client can walk into court with more than a story. They can walk in with documented evidence of change, a systematic explanation that makes sense to the Court, and a plan the judge can trust when most defendants walk in with nothing but a request for leniency.

Without it, the window closes. Your client arrives with nothing to show except a hope the court has already heard before.

Start building your client’s record of change now.

This is where you change the case.

Refer a Client →