Alternatives to Imprisonment: A Comparative Survey on the Use of Alternatives to Imprisonment in the Member States of the Council of Europe (From Community Service as an Alternative to the Prison Sentence, P 101-114, 1987 -- See NCJ-106907)

• NCJ Number: 106912
• Author(s): J P Tak
• Date Published: 1987
• Length: 14 pages
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Legislation/Policy Description
• Language: English
• Country: West Germany (Former)

Annotation

During the last decade, many European countries have introduced the community service order, either as a principal sentence or as a condition under a suspended sentence or a conditional sentence.

Abstract

The concept and its implementation have varied among West European countries. France, for example, provides detailed regulation of community service; whereas, community service in West Germany has very little regulation. Community service is most successful and most used in those countries having relevant, well-reasoned statutory regulation and a carefully prepared infrastructure. In Denmark, France, Norway, and the Netherlands, the first year's experience occasioned many problems, but community service orders have subsequently increased. The community service order is typically used with property offenders who do not have extensive criminal records. In all written statutory regulations for community service, the sanction is to replace the unconditional prison sentence normally imposed for the offense. 38 footnotes.