The Community Order
When deciding on a sentence, Magistrates and Judges have a basic choice between a prison sentence, the Community Order, a fine or conditional discharge. The Community Order was introduced in April 2005 under the new Criminal Justice Act. It replaces all existing community sentences for offences committed from April 2005.
It allows magistrates and judges to tailor-make a different sentence for each offender, based on their offences and their circumstances, by choosing from a range of 12 different requirements. In addition, technological advances such as electronic tagging are now easily added to the requirements of a sentence - providing innovative ways to deny liberty, reduce re-offending and ensure that community sentences are not a soft option.
The 12 requirements that sentencers can choose from are:
- Alcohol Treatment Requirement
- Attendance centre requirements (for under 25s)
- Community Payback (between 40 and 300 hours)
- Curfew
- Drug Rehabilitation Requirement
- Exclusion from certain areas
- Mental Health Treatment
- Programmes AND OTHER ACTIVITIES aimed at changing offending behaviour
- Prohibition from certain activities
- Residence Requirement (e.g. in Approved Premises)
- Specified activities (e.g. the Hate Crime Module or the Stop Binge Drinking Activity).
- Supervision Requirement
