Free labour for local community projects
In Surrey and Sussex around 330,000 hours of Community Payback are completed every year by offenders on community sentences. This is free labour provided to local communities as offenders pay back for the crimes they have committed.
Community Payback projects range from litter removal to clearing dense undergrowth, and environmental projects through repairing and redecorating community centres or removing graffiti. Offenders usually work as part of a team, monitored by a supervisor, and will work all day with short breaks, although there are some opportunities for individual placements.
To be considered your project must meet the following criteria:
- It must benefit the local community
- It must not take paid work away from others
- No one must make a profit from the work
- It must be challenging and demanding
- It must be worthwhile and constructive
- Offenders must be seen to be putting something back into the community.
Organisations benefiting from the work must provide and pay for any materials to be used, such as paint and brushes.
How do we select projects?
We work with a wide range of partners including community groups, charities, local authorities, schools, churches, mosques and care homes, who suggest projects which would be suitable.
More importantly, any member of the public can suggest a project. You can suggest a project for Community Payback here. This is something we very much encourage. Most suggestions will be taken up as long as they meet the criteria above.
Will the public know that people working in their area are offenders?
We are keen to promote awareness of Unpaid Work under the Community Payback logo. Offenders on most projects wear branded high-visibility vests and may will also display a Community Payback signboard.
What type of offenders work in the community?
In general Unpaid Work is given to low and medium risk offenders. It is not a suitable sentence for high risk offenders. Typical crimes are motoring offences, public order offences, theft and other dishonesty.
How do people know offenders are safe to work in their community?
All offenders are carefully assessed before they are allocated to work projects to ensure the safety of the public. Groups of offenders are also supervised by trained probation staff.
Does it cut crime?
As well as a punishment Unpaid Work is proven to reduce re-offending in many cases. Work carried out such as gardening, forestry, painting and decorating and carpentry can be accredited by education providers, giving offenders a recognised certificate. For many this is the first educational qualification they have ever achieved and is an incentive to carry on with further education or apply for jobs.
Research indicates that if offenders can gain stable employment they are 30 per cent less likely to re-offend. Offenders sentenced to unpaid work are half as likely to reoffend as those sentenced to short prison sentences.
