Community Payback news

CAMBRIDGESHIRE OFFENDERS WEAR HIGH VISIBILITY JACKETS FOR ‘COMMUNITY PAYBACK’

Branded high-visibility jackets are being worn by offenders carrying out work on Community Payback projects throughout Cambridgeshire as part of a Government drive to ensure the public can see punishment being carried out in the community.

Cambridgeshire Probation Area's Unpaid Work teams have been recognised as some of the most effective in the country for several years.Teams of offenders throughout Cambridgeshire carry out over 100,000 hours of Unpaid Work per year all of which benefits the local community. In 2007/8 770 Cambridgeshire offenders completed their Unpaid Work requirements with the area exceeding their area targets by 14%.

Louise Casey’s review, 'Engaging communities in fighting crime', published in June this year outlined the importance of people seeing justice being done.

The review found that:

• 70% of the public believe offenders should be identifiable
• 88% of the public believe that community payback should involve demanding work
• 79% of the public believe local people should be informed when community sentences for those committing crime or anti-social behaviour are made
• 90% of the public believe that payback to community should be part of all punishments for crime.

Recent statistics show that frequency of re-offending for community sentences have fallen sharply. The re-offending rate following a short custodial sentence is 59.7%. These short sentences can lead to problems with employment, housing and family relations and there is insufficient time to tackle the causes of the offender's behaviour. The re-offending rate following a community sentence is 37.9%.

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