Tag: community payback orders

Budget funding to cut reoffending and reduce victim numbers

A total of £148 million will be invested in community justice services next year to help reduce reoffending so there are fewer victims of crime.

The funding in the draft 2024-25 Budget includes an additional £14 million to encourage wider use of robust community-based interventions where appropriate.

Evidence shows such interventions, including Community Payback Orders and Structure Deferred Sentences, can be more effective than short-term imprisonment at reducing reoffending and assisting with rehabilitation.

The £148 million will be distributed across a range a range of community justice partners, including local authority justice social work services and third-sector organisations.

Justice Secretary Angela Constance said: “Protecting the public and delivering safe communities is my absolute priority.  

“This significant investment in community justice will support organisations to work together to ensure that people who have offended address the underlying causes of their behaviour and pay back to the community where appropriate. This aims to encourage rehabilitation, reduce reoffending, and protect the public, leading to fewer victims and safer communities.

“While prison is needed for those who pose a risk to public safety, evidence shows that community-based interventions and sentences can be more effective in reducing reoffending than short-term custodial sentences, while robustly managing risk.

“This funding is part of our overall £3.8 billion Budget investment in justice for 2024-25 which will support policing and other frontline services and help to deliver a safe, secure and resilient country.”

Community Justice: Unpaid workers give back at Christmas

Teams serving community payback orders (CPOs) have been making Christmas wreaths for sale to support people’s mental health over the festive season.

Unpaid workers in Fife have been raising money for mental health charity the Samaritans through the sale of wreaths made from foraged local materials. 

Justice Secretary Keith Brown welcomed the initiative as demonstrating the positive impact that CPOs can have not only for people with convictions, but for their wider local communities in the run up to Christmas.

He said: “This is a time of year when people’s mental health can be more greatly impacted and it’s good to see this recognised in the work carried out by people on community payback orders. 

“Of course many people in the justice system struggle with mental health problems, so it is particularly heartening to see the active contributions that this group of unpaid workers have been making to their community – and to charity.

“Community sentences, with supervision and other conditions where necessary, add structure and help people make the positive changes needed to tackle the causes of their behaviour.

“Our reforms to community-based sentences, in particular as an alternative to short spells in prison for less serious offences, is a key element of Scotland’s modern justice system – which in recent years has seen record low reconviction rates that in turn help keep crime down and communities safe, with fewer victims.”

Fife Council’s service manager Lisa McCran said: “This project is a great example of how our service users can help raise funds for a local charity and give something back to the community through unpaid work.

“Unfortunately, for some service users poor mental health is not uncommon, so this was also an opportunity to give back to those organisations who give help and support locally and nationally.” 

Community Justice Scotland chief executive, Karyn McCluskey, said: “Communities in Scotland have benefitted from more than 8 million hours of unpaid work since 2011. This has led to extraordinary change across the country.

“Crime is reducing and organisations and people across Scotland are making a difference day in day out. We know we have more to do, but we have shown great change is possible if we work together and strive for a safer society with wellbeing for all.”

Council consultation: Have your say on Community Payback Orders

The city council wants to know your thoughts on Community Payback Orders (CPO). These alternatives to custodial sentences are given out by the Court as a way for people to pay for their crimes.

In particular, it wants to know what you think about the unpaid work part of a CPO, which replaced community service in 2011. This is when an individual who has committed an offence does unpaid work within the community.

Below are some of the key questions:

  • Have you experienced people doing unpaid work in your community?
  • Do you believe unpaid work gives people the opportunity to repay the community for their offences?
  • Do you have any thoughts about residents, community projects or organisations who could benefit from unpaid work support by individuals completing CPOs?

These questions and a desire to improve service delivery is why the city council has launched it’s annual consultation in line with their commitments to the Scottish Government.

Councillor Val Walker, Culture and Communities Committee Convener, said: “We are taking a dynamic and evaluative approach to Community Payback Orders and the views of our citizens are crucial to this process.

“One major goal of the consultation is to find new areas and opportunities in the capital for unpaid work to be undertaken. Past examples of this work include community clear-ups, repainting community centres and the ‘Brake The Cycle’ scheme, wherein individuals serving CPOs are involved in renovating bicycles, learning new skills and gaining confidence in themselves and their wider community.

“These along with other activities allow key organisations such as charities to receive support whilst simultaneously allowing individuals serving CPOs to give back to their communities.

“Through this consultation and collection of information we want to promote more discussion with communities about unpaid work opportunities. These processes are key to properly understanding how CPOs help not only the individuals serving them in terms of reoffending, but the tangible benefits these brings to communities across our capital city.”

This consultation is open now and will run until 25 September 2022.

Have your say on Community Payback Orders

Edinburgh residents are being asked for their views on Community Payback Orders (CPO) which are given out by the Court to people to pay for their crimes as an alternative to a prison sentence.

In particular, the city council would like to know what you think about the unpaid work part of a CPO which replaced community service in 2011. This is when an individual who has committed an offence does unpaid work in the community.

Examples of unpaid work include:

  • repairing and reinstating headstones in local cemeteries
  • developing and maintaining children’s play areas
  • recycling projects including bicycles and outdoor furniture

The council is seeking your views on the effectiveness of community payback as a way to reduce re-offending and wants to know:

  • Do you have any experience of people doing unpaid work in your community?
  • Do you think unpaid work gives people the opportunity to repay the community for the crimes they have committed?
  • Do you have any ideas about residents, community projects or organisations who could benefit from unpaid work support?

As well as using the questionnaire to comment on community payback you can also recommend groups, residents, organisations or projects that may benefit from unpaid work through the online suggestion form.

Councillor Amy McNeese-Mechan, Vice Convener of Culture and Communities, said: “We want to hear from the people of Edinburgh about their views on Community Payback Orders, and the work carried out by the people subject to them.

“Through our consultation we also hope to identify more opportunities in the Capital for unpaid community work to be carried out. This work could include community clear ups, repainting community centres or recycling projects including bicycles and outdoor furniture.

“They are an excellent way for organisations such as charities to get practical help, and they give people who commit offences the chance to pay back to communities and develop new skills.

The information we collect will help us to improve how we work with communities and help to increase understanding of CPOs and their importance in helping people reintegrate into society and reduce the likelihood of them reoffending.”

The consultation runs until Wednesday 30 June.

Community Payback Orders – Tell us your views

Edinburgh residents are being asked to share their views on a scheme that requires people who have committed offences to carry out unpaid work in the community as part of their sentence.

Community Payback Orders can be imposed on people who have committed offences by the courts as an alternative to a short term prison sentence, and can last between six months and three years. They give those involved the chance to address their behaviour and also to repay communities by carrying out unpaid work.

The Council administers the scheme in the city and is seeking the views of the public on people who have committed offences working in communities and the effectiveness of community payback as a way to reduce re-offending.

Examples of unpaid work carried out by the scheme include:

  • repairing and reinstating headstones in local cemeteries
  • developing and maintaining children’s play areas
  • recycling projects including bicycles and outdoor furniture

As well as using the questionnaire to comment on the community payback scheme, participants can also recommend groups, residents, organisations or projects that may benefit from unpaid work through the online suggestion form.

Councillor Amy McNeese-Mechan, Vice Convener of Culture and Communities said: “We’re really keen to hear what people think about Community Payback Orders, and the work carried out by the people subject to them.

“One of the aims of the consultation is also to identify more opportunities in Edinburgh for unpaid community work to be carried out. This work could include repainting community centres, community clear ups or recycling projects including bicycles and outdoor furniture. They are an excellent way for organisations such as charities to get practical help, and they give people who commit offences the chance to repay communities for their offences.

“The information we collect will help us to improve how we work with communities and help to increase understanding of CPOs and their importance in helping people reintegrate into society and reduce the likelihood of them reoffending.”

The consultation will run until Monday 31 August.

Council seeks your views on Community Payback Orders

Edinburgh residents are being asked to comment on a scheme that requires offenders to carry out unpaid work in the community as part of their sentence.

commpaybackCommunity Payback Orders can be imposed on offenders by the courts as an alternative to a short prison term, and can last between six months and three years. They give those involved the chance to address their behaviour and also to repay communities by carrying out unpaid work.

The public consultation has been launched by the City of Edinburgh Council, which administers the scheme in the city. Views are being sought on offenders working in communities and the effectiveness of community payback as a way to reduce re-offending.

Examples of unpaid work carried out by the scheme include:

  • Refurbishing rundown gravestones, including a memorial in Craigmillar to an abandoned baby;
  • Maintaining the Vat Run mountain bike trail in South Queensferry;
  • Clearing overgrown paths in Figgate Park;
  • Building and filling flower planters for the Queen’s Baton route.

As well as using the questionnaire to comment on the community payback scheme, individuals and community groups can also recommend projects that may benefit from unpaid work through the online suggestion form.

All local authorities are legally required to carry out an annual consultation on the unpaid work aspect of community payback orders.

Community Safety Leader, Councillor Cammy Day, said: “We’re really keen to hear what people think about community payback orders, and the work carried out by the people subject to them.

“They are an excellent way for organisations such as charities to get practical help, and they give offenders the chance to repay communities for their offences.”

payback1