Informative Essay: The Use Of Community Service In Prisons

Community service is unpaid work and is often granted to those who commit crimes. It is frequently used as an alternative for prison (The Probation Service, 2015). Being on community service allows the offender to take initiative for his or her actions. “The emphasis of community service is not on punishment nor on rehabilitation; rather, it is on accountability” (Delens-Ravier, 2004). In order to guarantee that the offender is completing his or her volunteered work, they are being supervised by a probation officer. Probation officers are performing regularly checkups to ensure that the parolee is staying on the right track. If any violations occur, it is the responsibly of the probation officer to point those out in court (The Probation Service, 2015). Those who violate any of their requirements are more than likely to be thrown in prison. The main goal of community service is to allow the offender to repay their victims or their communities for their criminal activity that may have affected them in anyway (The Probation Service, 2015). However, that being said, the offender does need to realize that he or she cannot threaten nor come in contact with the person that they have intimidated. Community service can be very beneficial in both punishing the offender for his or her wrongdoings and at the same time teaching these criminals how to develop people skills and responsibilities. Many criminals commit crimes because they do not know how to function in the real world. By completing community service programs, it will allow the offender to progress with their engagement in the workplace and hopefully go out and get a job.
Paying for their bad behavior through volunteered work may also teach them how to conduct themselves properly and prevent any future crimes, because they will not want to face the consequences of working for free