10 October 2003
From pre-school to high school, Plunket to Age Concern and everything in between, offenders completing Community Work sentences (formerly known as Periodic Detention) are helping to keep Napier beautiful.
Today, local MPs and community groups gathered at the Community Probation Service's Napier office to recognise the excellent work being done in Napier by offenders serving community based sentences.
Painting out graffiti and removing invasive plants that were threatening natives, preparing food parcels for the local foodbank, painting amenities at local Marae and maintaining equipment and grounds at schools around the region, are just some of the jobs completed most recently by local Community Work parties.
Community Work offenders were also instrumental in preparing the Hawkes Bay Showgrounds for the recent New Zealand Horse Show of the Year competition. Offenders helped set up the 22 separate arenas required for the event, prepared and painted the show jumping poles, and even helped organise the visitors on the weekend itself. Event Organiser Kevin Hansen says that he'll continue to use the Community Work Centre. "They're first on my list for the next show - no question."
To determine where offenders are placed, the Community Work Centre uses an innovative but effective system that has offenders applying for some of the roles on offer, and going through an interview process.
"If we can, we like to give them as much experience with the 'real world' of working as possible," says Graham Booth, Napier Community Probation Officer. "So when any good jobs come up, we put them through their paces. Written application, full-on interview, the whole bit. We find it helps them gain confidence and gives them a good start if they've been having trouble getting a job."
Community based sentences are of benefit to us all, explains Mr Booth.
"Agencies benefit through free labour, offenders through the development of an improved work ethic, victims through offenders making compensation to the community in which they committed their crime, and lastly taxpayers through an alternative to imprisonment."