Unpaid work is a court-ordered punishment available as part of a community order or a condition of a suspended prison sentence. It can stand as a punishment in its own right or be combined with other community order requirements, such as supervision by a probation officer or a drug rehabilitation programme
It is available to all offenders whose crimes are serious enough to warrant a community-based penalty but are not so serious as to merit immediate imprisonment. Typically, offenders undertaking Unpaid Work will have been convicted of offences of dishonesty, lesser violent offences, driving offences and criminal damage.
All offenders being considered for Unpaid Work are assessed for their suitability and the risk they may pose to others and themselves. The aim is to ensure that all offenders undertaking Unpaid Work can be safely managed and are physically able to undertake the work required of them.
Members of the public can nominate projects to be completed by offenders on unpaid work, under the Community Payback scheme. The work should be of benefit to the community and also enable offenders to learn useful skills which could help them in future paid employment. Any project undertaken must not take away work from businesses. Beneficiaries typically include charities and community organisations.
