COMMUNITY SERVICE ORDERS IN INNER LONDON - AN EXERCISE IN ILLUSION - A WORKING PAPER

• NCJ Number: 18838
• Author(s): S UGLOW
• Date Published: 1975
• Length: 6 pages
• Corporate Author: Radical Alternatives to Prison
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Language: English
• Country: United Kingdom

Annotation

THE NON-CUSTODIAL TREATMENT KNOWN AS COMMUNITY SERVICE ORDERS, BY WHICH OFFENDERS ARE PAROLED TO SPECIFIC WORK PROJECTS IN INNER LONDON, IS ATTACKED AS BEING A MOVE BY LIBERAL REFORMERS WHICH FAILS TO AID REHABILITATION.

Abstract

COMMUNITY SERVICE ORDERS ARE CRITICIZED AS BEING A MIDDLE CLASS CONCEPT THAT ARBITARILY BINDS OFFENDERS TO JOBS AT THE LOWEST LABOR LEVEL WHICH ONLY FURTHER MIDDLE CLASS CONSTRUCTION OR MAINTENANCE AND INCREASE OFFENDERS' HOSTILITY TOWARD WHAT THEY SEE AS AN UNEQUAL SYSTEM OF DISTRIBUTION OF RESOURCES AND OPPORTUNITY. THE CONCEPT IS ALSO SEEN AS PUTTING REFORMATIVE AIMS AND PUNITIVE AIMS AT ODDS. THE AUTHOR RECOMMENDS THAT OFFENDERS WITH SERVICE ORDERS BE GIVEN A CHOICE OF JOBS (WITH UNION SALARY) AND A CHOICE OF PROJECTS ON WHICH TO WORK, SO THAT THE REFORMATIVE AND REHABILITATIVE GOALS WILL BE MORE REWARDING AND RELEVANT TO BOTH THE OFFENDERS AND THEIR COMMUNITY.