Community payback and rehabilitation
The head of rehabilitation for Serco UK & Europe, himself a former probation officer, explains how community payback in London has been remodelled with the help of public sector partners.
Community Payback (CP) was introduced in 1972 as an alternative to custody, under the name ‘community service’. It has since been repeatedly repackaged: as a community sentence in its own right; as a way for offenders to develop a working mentality and appropriate skills; as a way for them to develop problem-solving skills; and as a visible form of reparation to local communities. It has seen several rebrands: ‘community punishment’, ‘enhanced community punishment’, ‘unpaid work’ and ‘community payback’. In a sense, it is the chameleon of the justice system, changing its skin every few years to reflect each new government’s expectations...
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Ethosis aimed at public sector leaders, politicians, academics and policy specialists debating the future of public services today.
