NCJ Number
98218
Date Published
1982
Length
22 pages
Annotation
The Community Service Order Scheme (CSOS) provides an alternative to incarceration by requiring the offender to make reparation to the community by undertaking unpaid work for a fixed number of hours.
Abstract
The CSOS enables the offender to maintain the family unit and reduces exposure to undesirable associates. Not only is the work undertaken in local communities, but community members and organizations play an active role in overseeing and in assisting offenders to undertake community service work. The cost of maintaining an offender on the scheme is a twentieth of maintaining the same offender in prison. The court is responsible both for issuing community service orders and for assessing offenders from the point of view of personal characteristics and the nature of the offense. The range of community service work is broad and can include working in community halls, nursing homes, youth clubs, and other service centers. Offenders may be involved in manual or nonmanual work, alone or with other offenders, or serving nonprofit organizations or individuals. The degree of supervision varies with the offender, the nature of the work, and the circumstances of performance. Standards and guidelines have been developed for handling breaches of community service orders. The CSOS is a valuable, viable sentencing alternative which is especially appropriate for certain offenders who otherwise would have received short custodial sentences.