Information on community-based sentences and orders

The majority of the offenders Corrections manages are serving sentences and orders in the community.

Community Work

Community Work is a sentence requiring offenders to do unpaid work for non-profit organisations and community projects.

Offenders can be sentenced by courts to between 40 and 400 hours of Community Work for an offence punishable by imprisonment or specifically punishable by a community-based sentence.

Under the new legislation the courts can authorise the conversion of Community Work hours to hours spent on training in basic work and living skills (BWLS).

In the 2008/09 financial year, Community Work offenders carried out nearly 3.3 million hours of labour for community groups and organisations.

The following table shows the number of new Community Work sentences started in the last six years:

Back to top^

Supervision

Supervision is a rehabilitative community-based sentence lasting between six months and a year requiring offenders to address the causes of their criminal behaviour under the supervision of a probation officer. Offenders may also be required to pay a fine, make reparation, or do Community Work.

Back to top^

Home Detention

Under new legislation Home Detention became a stand-alone sentence, rather than a way of serving a prison sentence. It is a community-based sentence where offenders serve their sentence at home under electronic monitoring managed by a probation officer.

Home Detention is the most severe sentence after imprisonment.

Back to top^

Release on conditions

Offenders serving sentences of less than two years are automatically released after serving half of their prison sentence and are subject to conditions supervised by a probation officer.

Note: Release on conditions was introduced in 2002.

Back to top^

Parole

Offenders serving sentences of more than two years are eligible for release from prison on parole subject to conditions managed by a probation officer.

Back to top^

Community Detention

Community Detention requires the offender to comply with an electronically-monitored curfew imposed by the court. It was introduced as a community-based sentence in October 2007. It is targeted at offenders whose likelihood of re-offending could be reduced by restricting their movements at particular times, and those who punishment by means of a partial restriction of liberty is considered appropriate.

Back to top^

Intensive supervision

Intensive Supervision was introduced as a community-based sentence in October 2007. It can be for six months to two years and requires the offender to comply with a range of standard and special conditions imposed by the court. It is targeted at offenders convicted of serious offences, with severe and/or complex rehabilitative needs and a high risk of re-offending.

Back to top^

Extended supervision

An Extended Supervision Order imposes parole-like conditions on higher-risk child-sex offenders for up to 10 years after their release from prison.

Back to top^