An initiative in the West Midlands is providing an alternative to custodial sentences, with convicted offenders working on the improvement of waterways and green spaces around Smethwick. This project is part of the wider community payback scheme, which saw an estimated 5 million hours of work completed across England and Wales in the past year.
The Sentencing Act, which received royal assent in January, introduces a presumption for courts to suspend short custodial sentences of 12 months. This change is expected to result in more offenders undertaking community-based punishments.
Community payback sentences can range from 40 to 300 hours, to be completed within a specified timeframe. Offenders who are unemployed may work up to 28 hours each week over three or four days, while schedules for employed individuals are organised around their working hours. Failure to comply without a reasonable excuse can lead to enforcement action and a return to court.
Among those who may spend less time in prison and more time in the community due to the Sentencing Act are individuals convicted of burglary, shoplifting, and assault.