Community service orders (i.e., sentences) enable convicted offenders to perform unpaid work
for the benefit of their local communities. The present article describes the experiences and
views of 172 nonprofit social service agencies in Scotland that offered placements to, and
supervised, offenders on community service orders during 1989. The results of the survey
indicated that such work was highly valued by most agencies. Although approximately one half
of the agencies had experienced some problems when supervising offenders on orders, these
were usually of a relatively minor nature and agencies were, with very few exceptiom, willing
to continue making placements available. The implications of the findings for social service
agencies are discussed.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Advisory Council on the Penal System. (1970 ). Non-custodial and semi-custodial penalties.London: HMSO.
2.
Albrecht, H., & Schädler, W. (1986). Community service: A new option in punishing offenders in Europe.Freiburg, Germany: Max Planck Institute for Foreign and International Penal Law .
3.
Allen, G.F., & Treger, H. (1990). Community service orders in federal probation: Perceptions of probationers and host agenciesFederal Probation, 54, 8-14.
4.
Berk, R., & Feeley, M.M. (1990). An evaluation of the community service order program in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.Berkeley: University of California, Center for the Study of Law and Society.
5.
Bishop, N. (1988). Non-custodial alternatives in Europe.Helsinki: Government Printing Office.
6.
Carnie, J. (1991). Sentencers' perceptions of community service by offendersEdinburgh: Scottish Office Central Research Unit.
7.
Godson, D. (1980). Community service by offenders: The agencies' experience in Hampshire. Unpublished master's thesis, University of Southampton, United Kingdom.
8.
Leibrich, J., Galaway, B., & Underhill, Y. (1984). Survey of people connected with the community service sentence In J. Leibrich, B. Galaway, & Y Underhill (Eds.), Community service orders in New Zealand: Three research reports.Wellington: Department of Justice.
9.
McDonald, D.C. (1986). Punishment without walls: Community service sentences in New York City.New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press.
10.
McIvor, G. (1989). An evaluative study of community service by offenders in Scotland.Stirling, United Kingdom: University of Stirling, Social Work Research Centre.
11.
McIvor, G. (1991). Community service work placementsHoward Journal, 30, 19-29.
12.
McIvor, G. (1992). Reconviction among offenders sentenced to community service.Stirling, United Kingdom: University of Stirling, Social Work Research Centre.
13.
Morris, N., & Tonry, M (1990). Between prison and probation: Intermediate punishments in a rational sentencing system.New York : Oxford University Press.
14.
Pease, K. (1985). Community service orders In M. Tonry & N. Morris (Eds.), Crime and justice : An annual review of research (Vol.6, pp. 51-94). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
15.
Pease, K., Durkin, P., Earnshaw, I., & Payne, D. (1975). Community service orders (Home Office Research Study No. 29London: HMSO .
16.
Polonoski, M. (1980). The community service programme in Ontario: Participants and their perceptionsToronto: Ontario Ministry of Correctional Services.
17.
Social Work Services Group. (1989). National objectives and standards for the operation of community service by offenders schemes in Scotland.Edinburgh : Scottish Office.
18.
Social Work Services Group. (1990). Community service by offenders in 1987, 1988 and 1989.Edinburgh: Scottish Education Department .
19.
Social Work Services Group. (1991). National objectives and standards for social work services in the criminal justice system.Edinburgh: Scottish Office.
20.
Thorvaldson, S.A. (1978). The effects of community service on the attitudes of offenders. Unpublished doctoral thesis, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom.
21.
Varah, M. (1981). What about the workers? Offenders on community service orders express their opinionsProbation Journal , 27, 114-117.
