NCJ Number
116165
Date Published
1986
Length
18 pages
Annotation
This paper describes the use of community service orders for both adults and juveniles in West Germany.
Abstract
For adult offenders, community service is a voluntary substitute for imprisonment faced by fine defaulters. It may be ordered by courts as an additional condition in the case of suspension of a prison sentence. It may be similarly ordered as an additional condition in cases where an offender is cautioned, a fine is suspended, and fine suspension may be revoked if the work is not properly performed. Community service may be combined with the prosecutor's decision to dismiss a case, if the offender and the court consent. Under juvenile criminal law, community service constitutes part of the educational measures in the lowest and least serious level of intervention. There are plans to revise juvenile criminal law to include the community service order as an alternative to short-term institutionalization. Current knowledge about the organization and outcome of community service is scarce in West Germany, suggesting that additional research efforts are required. 15 notes, 1 table.