An unpaid work requirement requires offenders to undertake work projects in their local community. In some regions, a small proportion of these hours can be spent on education, training or employment activities for eligible offenders.
“Community Payback” is a term used to describe the delivery of an Unpaid Work requirement.
Volume/length range: Between 40 – 300 hours to be completed within 12 months.
Work as part of an unpaid work requirement must be suitable for an offender to perform; and if necessary, this suitability should be assessed by Probation. Probation will also be able to advise what type of projects are available in the region. The court must consider whether the offender is in employment, has any disabilities or limitations, has any dependants, or whether there are any other circumstances that may make an unpaid work requirement unsuitable.
If unpaid work hours are not completed within 12 months (unless extended or revoked by the court), the requirement remains ‘live’ and will need to be returned to the court for the operational period to be extended so the remaining hours can be worked. Sentencers should consider this when considering any other requirements to ensure that it is realistic for an offender to complete all unpaid work hours within the operational period.