John Stafford
Question:47 Mr. Stafford asked the Minister for Justice the number of community service orders imposed by the courts in 1991; and the number of hours this work was carried out.
Written Answers. - Community Service Orders.
Joe Sherlock
Question:75 Mr. Sherlock asked the Minister for Justice if he will outline the progress that has been made with regard to the commitment given in the Review of the Programme for Government to examine the range of offences to which community service can be applied with a view to extending it; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 47 and 75 together.
The long term public interest is best served when prisons are used only as a last resort and when a range of effective alternatives, including Community Service Orders, are fully employed. At the present time there are over 3,200 offenders serving community-based sanctions under the supervision of the Probation and Welfare Service. That is about one-and-a-half times the number of persons who are in custody. Of these, over 700 persons are on Community Service Orders. Community Service Orders made by the courts numbered 1,390 in 1991. This represents 147,863 hours of work undertaken in the community that might otherwise have been left undone.
My Department are constantly reviewing the scope for extending the use of Community Service Orders and at the present time are considering in particular, the feasibility of extending them to fine defaulters.