The Community Service scheme is run by the
Jersey Probation and After Care Service (JPACS) and provides the Courts with a community based alternative to a custodial penalty.
A Jersey court can give you a Community Service Order instead of sending you to prison or youth detention. When sentencing you to a period of community service, the judge or magistrate will tell you what period of youth detention or imprisonment the court would otherwise have imposed.
What is the purpose of a Community Service sentence?
A community service sentence can be given to someone who has been found guilty of an offence. The sentence:
- gives you the chance to make amends for your offence by working in the community which you have offended against
- will benefit the local community; for example, by doing conservation work or a community project
- aims to help deter you from committing future offences
When or why might you be sentenced to Community Service?
If you are 15 years old or over, any court in Jersey may consider sentencing you to community service (except where the sentence for a certain offence is fixed by law). The court will look at how serious your crime was, but they may also take into account:
- the type of offence
- if this is your first offence
- whether they think you're willing / likely to do the work
- whether you would benefit from doing community service
How long will your Community Service sentence last?
The length of your sentence will depend on how serious your crime was. The judge or magistrate will decide how long your sentence will be during your court hearing, but you can expect to do:
- up to 180 hours if you're sentenced in the Magistrate's Court or in the Youth Court
- up to 480 hours if you're sentenced in the Royal Court
Doing community service
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