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The Department of Correctional Services
(DCS) Community Service Order (CSO) |
What is a Community
Service Order (CSO)?
Community Service Order is one of the
non custodial sentencing options of the court where an offender 17 years and
over is ordered by the Judge/Magistrate to do unpaid work in the community
for minor non-violent offences as provided by the Criminal Justice (Reform)
Act 1978. How does it work? The offender is required to
perform tasks arranged and monitored by the Probation Officer and supervised
by the agency’s supervisor where the task is carried out. The number of hours can vary from a minimum of
forty (40) hours to a maximum of three hundred and sixty (360) hours for a
single offence and up to four hundred and eighty (480) hours for more than
one offence. Failure to comply with the order, the offender
will be brought back before the court, and punished for the offence as the
Judge/Magistrate sees fit. Who can receive help? Organizations, which may use the service, are
essentially non-profit making e.g. hospitals, infirmaries, children’s home,
schools, and public parks. What type of work? Projects which Orderees
can be engaged in includes: cleaning, painting, gardening or working with
elderly or disabled people or make use of your skill. The kind of
work done by people sentenced to community work can vary enormously. Community Service Order Officers try to: 1. Match people and skills to the tasks required or 2. Obtain available tasks for which no special
skill is required The Probation Office
will provide information as to where to work and may supply the tools you may
need. WHO DO NOT BENEFIT FROM COMMUNITY SERVICE ORDERS? Persons who commit
offence involving: ·
The use of, or the illegal possession of a
firearm, or ·
The use of imitation firearm or the possession of
an imitation firearm. ·
Persons who do not have a fixed place of
residence. WHAT
HAPPENS WHEN AN ORDER IS MADE? The Court dictates
how many hours Orderee has to work. The Probation Officer instructs him/her
where to work and the times. It will
usually be one or two days each week until all the hours have been worked. An Orderee is
expected to start work within seven (7) days of the court order. A record is kept
of the hours worked on two (2) cards.
One card is kept by the Orderee and the
other by the Agency/Supervisor. CONSEQUENCES If the offender fails to comply with any of the
requirements of the Community Service Order he may be summoned to appear
before the court. ·
The offender may be fined. ·
His Community Service Order may be revoked. WHAT THE ORDEREE HAS TO DO? The Orderee
will be given a copy of instructions setting out how they must behave and
what to do. ·
When
the Orderee is on the order, he/she must inform
his/her community service Officer of any change of address etc. ·
Work
where the Community Service Probation Officers tells him/her to work. ·
Report
on time and work for the hours he/she is told to work. ·
Cooperate
with his/her Agency/ Supervisor and
Community Service Probation Officer. ·
Work
as a team and treat others fairly and equally. DOES
THE ORDEREE HAVE ANY RIGHTS WHILE ON COMMUNITY SERVICE ORDER? The Orderee will be treated fairly and equally. The Orderee can make a complaint if he/she feels that they
have been treated unfairly or unreasonably.
He/she should first try to discuss this with their Probation Officer
and if he/she is not satisfied with the response, they can write to the
Coordinator of the programme. WHAT
IF THE OFFENDER HAS ANY QUESTIONS OR PROBLEMS? If the Orderee has
questions or problems he/she should get in touch with their Probation Officer
as soon as possible. The Officer will
try to sort things out for them. |
