4 Community Service Orders ( CSOs)
(Tables 1 to 4 & 9 to 10, Chart 3)
CSOs excluding Probation Orders with a Requirement of Unpaid Work
4.1 A total of 6,400 CSOs (excluding Probation Orders with a Requirement of Unpaid Work) were made in 2008-09 ( Table 1). This represents an increase of 4 per cent from the 2007-08 total of 6,200.
4.2 Male offenders accounted for 88 per cent of CSOs (excluding Probation Orders with a Requirement of Unpaid Work) as shown in Table 2.
4.3 CSOs (excluding Probation Orders with a Requirement of Unpaid Work) were relatively more common amongst young offenders, with 61 and 45 orders per 10,000 population for 18-20 and 21-25 year olds respectively ( Table 2). Females receiving CSOs tended to be older, with 62 per cent of such orders relating to over 25 year olds. The corresponding proportion for males was 49 per cent.
4.4 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-four per cent of CSOs were given to offenders who were either unemployed or not seeking employment. Thirty-seven per cent were employed or self employed, in full time education or on a government sponsored training scheme ( Table 3).
Breach Applications of CSOs
4.5 There were 2,113 breach applications made to the Courts in 2008-09 in respect of CSOs. This represented a decrease of 2 per cent compared with the 2,161 breach applications in 2007-08 ( Table 1 and Chart 3).
4.6 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, in 2008-09 there was a requirement that CSOs had to be completed within a 12 month period, and the number of orders started in 2008-09 (6,400 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 a third of orders resulted in a breach application.
4.7 Around 17 per cent of breach applications resulted in the original order being revoked and a custodial sentence imposed, which is similar to 2007-08 ( Table 9). A further 25 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 13 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 24 per cent of breach applications made in 2008-09, a decrease from 34 per cent in 2006-07.
Chart 3 Breaches and terminations of CSOs, 2006-07 to 2008-09
Notes relating to Chart 3:
1. Excludes Probation Orders with a Requirement of Unpaid Work.
4.8 Males accounted for 89 per cent of breach applications. As males also accounted for a similar proportion of all new orders (see paragraph 4.2), this suggests that breach applications are as likely to occur for males as for females.
4.9 An outcome of revoked and custody was more common amongst males (18 per cent) than females (10 per cent) as shown in Table 9. The outcome of order revoked and probation was a more likely outcome for females (9 per cent) than for males (5 per cent).
Terminations of Community Service Orders
4.10 A total of 6,700 CSOs were terminated in 2008-09, an increase of 16 per cent from the 2007-08 total of 5,800 ( Table 1 and Chart 3). Approximately 65 per cent of these orders were successfully completed ( Table 10), 4 per cent were revoked following a review, 22 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).
4.11 Females (66 per cent) were slightly more likely to complete their orders successfully than males (64 per cent).