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JUSTICE MINISTER ALAN Shatter has announced a new plan to boost community service numbers by compelling judges to factor it in as a sentencing option.
Judges will now be required to consider community service instead of jail for minor offenders, in a move the government hopes will save money and ease pressure on crowded prisons. Any offender facing a sentence of 12 months or less could now do community service instead of jail time.
The provision is contained in the Criminal Justice (Community Service) (Amendment) Act 2011, which came into force yesterday. Announcing the new legislation, Minister Shatter said the move would save money as well as benefiting the wider community with offenders’ unpaid labour.
He said the legislation was “a response to the under utilisation of community service and a recognition of the importance of non-custodial alternatives to imprisonment”. Minister Shatter continued:
Increasing the use of community service delivers financial savings, diverts from the prison system offenders considered appropriate for community service, and provides reparation in the form of unpaid work to the benefit of the community. The comparative costs of a community service order have been estimated to be as low as 11-12 per cent of the alternative cost of imprisonment, and unlikely to exceed 34 per cent.
In a statement, the government said community service also allows offenders to maintain ties with “family, friends and community” and continue in education or employment. Use of such orders has more than double since 2004, when 843 were handed down. Some 1,712 community service orders have been imposed by judges this year alone.
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A load of rubbish. Community service has been an option for judges for years. It’s not used too often as most repeat offenders are unsuitable to be working in the community. In order to find yourself facing a twelve month sentence you’ve been convicted previously or have committed quite a serious misdemeanour, relatively speaking. Offenders in that position are not suitable for community service. They are usually drug addicts with a history of aggressive behaviour and as such can’t do community service. Those who are suitable are first time offenders who have done something out of character and in such cases fines are the most beneficial penalties. Community Service means longer time on remand waiting for suitability and probation reports, cost of assigning probation officers increased work loads, cost of supervision, cost of re-entering cases when community service orders aren’t complied with etc etc etc. Build bigger prisons and lock up those who are ruining your community, simple. This new legislation isn’t worth a damn, just like the rest of the recent criminal justice bills enacted. Eg that organised crime legislation – absolute bad bad law, unworkable, but provided great political sound bites
People have been jailed for non-payment of fines, failure to have dog licences etc with no previous convictions. They are ideal candidates for community service since imprisonment only exacerbates their inability to pay naturally enough. It is a viable alternative for many offences currently being punished by imprisonment. It’s just not a very popular stance for any government to take.
Most people jailed for non payment of fines have got the initial fines for anti social behaviour or violent disorder etc and instead of paying their debt to society they cost the state even more by refusing to pay the fines and having several court appearances costing thousands in Garda and court resources. These are usually the scum of the country who will never pay their debts or contribute to society!
Seems like a good idea. Would just wonder what types of Community Service offenders would be doing. If the Offender does not see the benefit (or just thinks that, by not going to prison, they have gotten away scott-free) then, it is of no use to Society, the Victim or the Offender. Needs to be a win-win for everyone envolved.
Sounds very fair to me ??
House arrest is the answer if you ask me … Keeps them locked up but not at are expense
Fiona. How many people, aside from habitual casual trader offenders ie cigarette sellers, who have spent one night in jail for not paying a fine? Very very few. Same goes for non payment of TV license. You go in and get out within the hour or two that it takes to process the paper work. But yes I would agree they are ideal candidates for community work (even though it is expensive to organise and supervise) I’m interested to hear your examples of the many offences currently being disposed of with custodial sentences which would also be suitable?
Community service for the ordinary decent criminal or TV sponger and golf and dinner bonus for the bankers.
I would love to see the Healy Rea’s on a chain gang with John O Donahue for bringing the country to the brink of disaster.
Yes, if ‘community service’ means chain gangs with criminals in shackles fixing roads, building old folks homes and repairing schools
This myth that people are being locked up for for non payment of tv licences and dog licences etc has to be dispelled. It is 100% not happening and the public need to be aware of this. In fact criminals are not even paying court imposed fines because the 2 or 3 weeks imprisonment as default is simply not being enforced. It is a complete and utter sham and utterly undermines the whole criminal justice process. Unfortunately this whole community service scheme will be just as shambolic because it will be ran by the same people.
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