NCJ Number
205380
Date Published
2004
Length
26 pages
Annotation
In reflecting key findings from recent research, this chapter examines the rehabilitative and reintegrative potential of community service.
Abstract
When community service was first introduced, it was thought that there would be tremendous rehabilitative value for offenders in undertaking unpaid work for the community. However, the inclusion of community punishment within the United Kingdom's What Works agenda represented a new challenge. It offers a different approach from traditional offending behavior programs to how to achieve a positive impact on offenders. Research suggests that community service has not fared very well in its reconceptualization as punishment in the community. In this chapter, there is an attempt to rediscover rehabilitation and reintegration in community service. Under the Crime Reduction Program within the United Kingdom, Pathfinder projects in community service were established in 1999. The Pathfinder projects concerning community service were built on practitioner-led initiatives starting in the mid-1990's. The philosophy behind the projects is described as rehabilitative/integrative. The projects were implemented in 10 probation areas across England and Wales and contain the following elements: (1) encouraging socially responsible attitudes and behavior; (2) facilitating the development of employment skills; and (3) tackling offending-related needs. Evaluative research conducted on Pathfinder projects suggests high levels of commitment, flexibility, and practical creativeness involved in delivering good-quality community service projects. What needs to be remembered is that the What Works principles have been conceived with an almost exclusive focus on cognitive skills and are based on a relatively narrow range of research evidence, making community a challenge to the What Works principles. References