Community sentences

Community sentences are a tough punishment that can restrict an offender's freedom, positively influence their behaviour and ensure that they pay back the community for their crimes. However they may also allow an offender to keep their job or college place, their family ties and their home. All of these may be crucial factors in preventing re-offending.

There are two main types of community sentence:

• Community order
• Suspended sentence

Community order

The court will determine the length of the community order. The order can last for a maximum of three years. To the community order, the sentencers can add additional requirements with which the offender must comply.

There are twelve requirements that can be added to the order:

• Unpaid work, now called Community Payback
• Supervision
• Activity (eg education or training)
• Prohibited activity (something the offender is not allowed to do)
• Exclusion (an area where they are not allowed to go)
• Curfew
• An offender behaviour programme
• Attendance centre (for young offenders only)
• Drug Rehabilitation (this must have the offender's consent)
• Mental health treatment (this must have the offender's consent)
• Alcohol Treatment (this must have the offender's consent)
• Residence (offender must live in a specified place)

Once an offender is sentenced to a Community Order they will be assigned to an offender manager. They will meet regularly and the manager will produce a supervision plan for the sentence. They will co-ordinate any other requirements that are part of the order. These additional requirements may be supervised by other colleagues within the probation service or by a contracted partner eg drug treatment or electronic tagging.

The Offender Manager ensures that the offender attends all appointments and fulfils all the requirements. If the offender fails to attend for good reason or to comply with the order, they may be returned to court.

If the offender re-offend or breaches the order they can go straight to prison.