Probation Service - Some Details

As previously mentioned the probation service works in a variety of different areas and these generally follow the same pattern as policing areas. London Probation Service works with adult offenders who are serving their sentence within the community. This could be in the form of a community order, or if they have just been released from prison, a licence.

Community Orders will mean that the offender will serve the whole sentence given within the community rather than going to prison. These types of order now follow the Criminal Justice Act of 2003 and vary according to both the offender and the crime committed. Some of the requirements of the community order may be;

A prohibited activity - this means the offender either has to abstain from an activity altogether, or at certain times or days.

Specified activities - the order may dictate that the offender has to complete certain activities such as a skills for life qualification. The number of days given for this may be anything up to a maximum of 60.

Alcohol treatment - for an offender with a drink problem the order may set out specific treatments to deal with a dependency on alcohol.

Attendance centre (for those under 25) - this means that the offender has to attend a centre between 12 and 36 hours a week.

Curfew - this is usually seen in conjunction with electronic monitoring. This means that the offender needs to be at a certain place at a certain time!

Mental health treatment - the courts need to be satisfied that the offender is definitely requiring treatment for mental health and even then the treatment can only be given at the permission of the offender.

Unpaid work - this is what we commonly think of as community service. It is work that serves the needs of the community and could be graffiti removal or clearing of rubbish for example.