In New Zealand many more offenders are sentenced to community-based sentences and orders than those sentenced to prison. Approximately 26,847 offenders are on community-based sentences at any one time, compared to 7,605 offenders in prison.
The aim of community-based sentences is to allow a person to make reparation for their crimes and address their offending needs while maintaining their normal living and employment routines. The Probation Officer works with the person to motivate them to make changes in their lives. Offenders may have to attend programmes which address offending issues, for example, violence, alcohol and drug, and driving offences, or attend other types of community programmes. If appropriate, offenders can attend Maori programmes which teach the offenders more about Maori culture and give them an opportunity to re-connect to their iwi.
Community-based sentences can offer a last chance for offenders to make changes in their lives, otherwise if they continue to re-offend, they may end up in prison.
For other offenders who are released from prison, community-based sentences enable them to adjust to being back in the community under strict conditions about where they can live and work and what programmes they have to attend. These offenders may continue to receive interventions and programmes to help them maintain the changes they have made while in prison.
For many people, the most visible sign of people on community-based sentences is people making reparation to the community in the form of Community Work. Community Work can be work on an individual basis through placement at an agency or in a group supervised by the Community Probation Service. Throughout New Zealand offenders do work for local councils, government agencies, voluntary organisations, marae organisations, sports groups and community groups. This can be any type or work as long as it does not replace work that would normally be done in paid employment.
The community-based sentences and orders are:
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