3. Community Service Orders, excluding Probation Orders with a Requirement of Unpaid Work (Chart 3, Tables 1.1 to 1.4 and 3.1 and 3.2)
3.1 A total of 6,202 CSOs (excluding Probation Orders with a Requirement of Unpaid Work) were made in 2007-08. This represents an increase of four and a half per cent from the 2006-07 total of 5,937.
Chart 3 Number of Community Service Orders (1) 2005-06 to 2007-08
1. Excludes Probation Orders with a Requirement of Unpaid Work.
3.2 Male offenders accounted for 89 per cent of CSOs (excluding Probation Orders with a Requirement of Unpaid Work).
3.3 CSOs (excluding Probation Orders with a Requirement of Unpaid Work) were relatively more common amongst young offenders, with 65 orders per 10,000 population for 18-20 year olds and 46 orders per 10,000 population for 21-25 year olds. Females receiving CSOs tended to be older, with 59 per cent of such orders relating to over 25 year olds. The corresponding proportion for males was 45 per cent.
3.4 The employment status of offenders provides an indication of whether the offender is likely to be available for work during normal working hours (i.e. weekdays between 9am and 5pm). Fifty-one per cent of CSOs were given to offenders who were either unemployed or not seeking employment. Thirty-eight per cent were employed or self employed, in full time education or on a government sponsored training scheme. A further 10 per cent were recorded under 'other' employment status.
Breach Applications of Community Service Orders
3.5 There were 2,161 breach applications made to the Courts in 2007-08 in respect of CSOs. This represented an increase of 14 per cent compared with the 1,892 breach applications in 2006-07.
3.6 The number of breach applications is not directly comparable with the number of orders provided previously (which covers new orders only) as some of the breach applications may relate to orders started in the previous year. However, as CSOs must be completed within a 12 month period, the number of orders started in 2007-08 (6,202 excluding Probation with Unpaid Work) can be taken as a proxy measure for the number of orders active during the year. This suggests that around 35 per cent of orders resulted in a breach application.
3.7 Seventeen per cent of breach applications resulted in the original order being revoked and a custodial sentence imposed, an increase from 13 per cent in 2006-07. A further 28 per cent of breaches resulted in the original order being revoked and some other action taken (including order revoked and probation imposed and order revoked and monetary penalty imposed). In 11 per cent of applications, the original order was continued and no further action taken by the court and in 3 per cent of applications, a warrant for apprehension/recall was made. The outcome was not yet known for 26 per cent of breach applications made in 2007-08, a decrease from 34 per cent in 2006-07.
3.8 Males accounted for 89 per cent of breach applications. As males also accounted for a similar proportion of all new orders (see paragraph 3.2), this suggests that breach applications are as likely to occur for males as for females.
3.9 An outcome of revoked and custody was more common amongst males (18 per cent) than females (8 per cent). The outcome of order revoked and probation was marginally a more likely outcome for females (5 per cent) than for males (4 per cent).
Terminations of Community Service Orders
3.10 A total of 5,825 CSOs were terminated in 2007-08, an increase of 7 per cent from the 2006-07 total of 5,432. Sixty-five per cent of these orders were successfully completed, five per cent were revoked following a review, 23 per cent of orders were revoked following a breach application to the courts and the remainder were terminated for other reasons (including transfer to another area and death of the offender).
3.11 Females (67 per cent) were slightly more likely to complete their orders successfully than males (64 per cent).