COMMUNITY SERVICE ORDERS IN ENGLAND

• NCJ Number: 54761
• Journal: International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology Volume: 20 Issue: 1 Dated: (1976) Pages: 58-64
• Author(s): P RALPHS
• Date Published: 1976
• Length: 7 pages
• Corporate Author: Assoc for Psychiatric Treatment of Offenders
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Program Description (Model)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THE PILOT IMPLEMENTATION OF A COMMUNITY SERVICE ORDER PROGRAM IN KENT, ENGLAND, IS DESCRIBED.

Abstract

KENT WAS ONE OF SIX AREAS IN WHICH THE COMMUNITY SERVICE ORDER, ONE OF SEVERAL PENAL INNOVATIONS CONTAINED IN ENGLAND'S CRIMINAL JUSTICE ACT OF 1972, WAS TESTED. IN DEVELOPING THE PILOT PROJECTS, CONSIDERATION WAS GIVEN TO THE TYPES OF OFFENDERS FOR WHOM COMMUNITY SERVICE MIGHT BE APPROPRIATE AS WELL AS TO THE PROPER ORIENTATION (TREATMENT OR DETERRENCE) OF COMMUNITY SERVICE. IT WAS DECIDED THAT THE COMMUNITY SERVICE EXPERIENCE SHOULD BE AS CONSTRUCTIVE FOR THE OFFENDER AS POSSIBLE, BUT THAT REASONABLE STANDARDS OF ATTENDANCE AND WORK PERFORMANCE SHOULD BE IMPOSED. AS THE KENT PROJECT PROGRESSED, COMMUNITY SERVICE STAFF WERE ABLE TO BECOME INCREASINGLY SELECTIVE ABOUT THE PROJECTS TO WHICH THEY ASSIGNED OFFENDERS. TWO TYPES OF PROJECTS, DIFFERENTIATED PRIMARILY BY THE EXTENT OF PERSONAL CONTACT BETWEEN THE OFFENDER AND MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY, ARE USED. THE PILOT PROJECTS HAVE NOT YET BEEN FULLY EVALUATED, BUT AFTER 2 YEARS IT IS CLEAR THAT SERVICE ORDERS ARE RESULTING IN CONSIDERABLE IMPROVEMENTS TO THE COMMUNITY THROUGH THE LABORS OF PEOPLE WHO OTHERWISE WOULD HAVE BEEN IMPRISONED. THE PER-CAPITA WEEKLY COST OF COMMUNITY SERVICE IS 3 TO 4 POUNDS, COMPARED TO 40 POUNDS FOR PRISONS. THE COURTS ARE USING COMMUNITY SERVICE ORDERS FOR REPEAT OFFENDERS, INCLUDING OFFENDERS WITH PRISON RECORDS, AS WELL AS FOR FIRST OFFENDERS. IN KENT, ABSENCES FROM WORK HAVE RESULTED IN COURT ACTION FOR ABOUT 12 PERCENT OF SERVICE ORDER CLIENTS, AND AN ADDITIONAL 12 PERCENT HAVE BEEN RECONVICTED. THE COMMUNITY SERVICE ORDER APPEARS TO BE A VIABLE SENTENCING ALTERNATIVE. SUGGESTIONS FOR ITS FURTHER DEVELOPMENT, INCLUDING THE POSSIBILITY OF ASSIMILATING COMMUNITY SERVICE ORDER ADMINISTRATION INTO THE REGULAR OPERATIONS OF PROBATION OFFICES, ARE OFFERED. DETAILS OF THE ORGANIZATION AND MANAGEMENT OF THE KENT PROJECT ARE PROVIDED. (LKM)