Community Payback

What is Community Payback?

Community Payback is a punishment where offenders 'pay back' the community for their crimes. Through this scheme, offenders supervised by London Probation do demanding, physical work in their community. Magistrates and Judges can order offenders to do between 40 hours and 300 hours of Community Payback. Offenders are expected to undertake a minimum of six hours per week. Offenders wear orange jackets marked 'Community Payback', so local people can see they are paying back for their crimes.

Local people can have their say on which Community Payback projects are tackled.

Community Payback projects must:

Reduce crime and fear of crime
Be identified by local communities as a priority
Be visible to local communities
Improve quality of life for the community

Examples of work completed include:

Graffiti removal
Street clean-ups
Ground clearance
Recycling projects
Building maintenance
Improvements to park and community facilities
Environmental preservation programmes
Landscaping and gardening projects
Painting and decorating in community centres and meeting places

Graffiti removal project results below:

Graffiti cleaning, before Graffiti cleaning, after

The work benefits local schools, faith grounds, charities and community organisations. Although the Probation Service provides the free labour, the community group or charity will be asked to provide materials for the job such as paint, plants or building materials.

How does it work?

Community Payback takes place in all London boroughs. In Tower Hamlets it is a partnership between the Council, London Probation Trust and the Metropolitan Police that began in 2004. London Probation does a health and safety overview, provides the offenders, completes the risk assessment and manages the work projects.

The Probation Trust's main priority is the protection of the public. Each offender is carefully assessed before they are assigned to a project of work. This assessment looks at an offender's criminal and personal history, the crimes they committed and the risk they pose to the public. Offenders will not carry out Community Payback if they are considered a risk to the public.

When carrying out Community Payback work, offenders are transported to and from the project, work in small teams and are supervised by fully-trained London Probation supervisors.

The Council provides waste removal, transport, storage facilities and, sometimes, equipment. Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) and housing caretakers may support Probation Supervisors on site. Many projects are nominated by front line officers in the Street Care or Tower Hamlets Enforcement Officers (THEOs). The Police Safer neighbourhoods Teams help the community to nominate Community Payback projects.