The community base
order allows offenders to make reparation for their offences by
serving the community. Offenders can also gain employment and
problem solving skills, which can help them to address their
offending behaviour.
Unpaid Work is one
of the 12 requirements in the community order which was introduced
in the criminal justice Act 2003. Magistrates and Judges can order
offenders to undertake a specified number of hours ranging between
40 and 300. In the past this sentence was known as Community
Service, or more recently, Community Payback (Unpaid Work).
Offenders are
expected to undertake a minimum of six hours a week and to have
completed their ordered hours within 12 months, although completion
time can be shorter depending on the number of hours. The Probation
Service supervises this work and provides opportunities for
offenders to work seven days a week.
The Community
Payback Unit which is part of the Gloucestershire Probation Area
(GPA), provides work for small teams of offenders on community
orders. The offenders are supervised by fully trained supervisors
working for the Probation Service and are transported to and from
the project.
The work
can benefit local schools, faith groups, churches, charities and
community organisations and partnerships. Some of our work is aimed
at improving community safety; this is normally carried out in
conjunction with local authorities.
The range of work
includes:-
-
Graffiti removal work
-
Conservation
and Land management work
-
General ground
clearance
and landscaping work
-
Improvements to green space and community facilities
-
Environmental preservation programmes
-
General gardening projects
-
Painting and decorating in community centres and meeting
places
-
Assisting in local day centre lunch clubs
-
working on charity events and activities
such as Community Action Days
The Community Payback Unit will consider any request for
assistance. However organisations using Community Payback offenders
must accept that although a reasonable standard of work is normally
achieved, the offenders are not professionally trained in trade
skills.
The
Community Payback Unit’s number one priority is the protection of
the public. Each offender is carefully assessed before they are
assigned to a project. This assessment looks at an offender's
criminal and personal history, the crimes they have committed and
the risk they may pose to the public and other offenders.
If you have any
ideas for projects or individual placements which would benefit your
community, please contact the Community Payback Unit. We are keen to
work with all section of the community in Gloucestershire.
Please
contact Steve Hanson at
steve.hanson@gloucestershire.probation.gsi.gov.uk
(Phone: 01452 389229 Mobile: 07774240791
or
Allan Thompson at
allan.thompson@gloucestershire.probation.gsi.gov.uk
(Phone 01452 389223)
