KENNY WELCOMES INCREASE IN EMPHASIS ON COMMUNITY SERVICE

Posted on August 16, 2012 2:28 PM   |   Permanent Link   

Dublin Bay North Labour TD and member of the Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Seán Kenny, has welcomed the release of figures in the 2011 Probation Service Annual Report that show a greater emphasis being placed on Community Service as a method for offenders to repair the harm done to their communities.

"It is clear from the 2011 Annual Report that the Probation Service continues to provide an effective alternative to custody for our Courts. The 2011 Report shows that there was a 40% increase in the number of Community Service Orders made - almost a thousand more in 2011 than in 2010 and over 100,000 more Community Service hours ordered instead of custody.

"While of course Probation and Community Service are not suitable for more serious crimes, I do think Community Service has a very important role to play. Many Probation interventions provide an opportunity for offenders to repair the harm done in their community by their offending behaviour. Community Service benefits local communities, reduces public expenditure on prison services and requires convicted offenders to make recompense for their crimes. The Service will continue to have my full support in making greater use of community service as an alternative to imprisonment.

"The Criminal Justice (Community Service) (Amendment) Act 2011 enacted in July 2011 and commenced on 1 October 2011, requires judges when considering imposing a sentence of imprisonment of 12 months or less to first consider the appropriateness of community service as an alternative to imprisonment."