Community Sentencing
It can also encourage the offender to deal with any problems that might be making them commit crime - like drugs.
As part of the reform of sentences, the various kinds of community order for adults have been replaced by a single generic community order with a range of possible requirements. The separate community orders for adults such as the community punishment order are only used for crime committed up until 4 April 2005. For all offences committed after that date, Courts are able to choose different elements to make up a bespoke community order which is relevant to that particular offender and the crime(s) they committed.
Technological advances, such as electronic tagging and voice recognition provide ways to restrict liberty and reduce crime without requiring a prison sentence.
The range of requirements available with a generic community sentence or Community Order are:
- Compulsory (unpaid) work;
- Participation in any specified activities;
- Programmes aimed at changing offending behaviour;
- Prohibition from certain activities;
- Curfew;
- Exclusion from certain areas;
- Residence requirement;
- Mental health treatment (with consent of the offender);
- Drug treatment and testing (with consent of the offender);
- Alcohol treatment (with consent of the offender);
- Supervision;
- Attendance
It is important that offenders receive the right combination of these in their Community Order as it can affect whether they offend in the future. Choose an option on the left to read more about what these different requirements involve.