An Unpaid Work requirement is work that will benefit other people. This work is to pay back to the community for the harm or damage the offending behaviour has caused. This work is often promoted as Community Payback. There are lots of different types of work available and an opportunity to work as part of a team and learn new skills. The officer responsible for the sentence will talk to the offender about what will be most suitable, and they will tell you when and where you will be working. You won’t be asked to do anything that you can’t manage. If you are in full time work, education or training, you will have to do Community Payback work for a minimum of six hours each week. This will usually take place on one day at weekends if you work during the week. If you are unemployed you may have to work for a minimum of 18 hours each week, over three days. You must wear an orange Community Payback jacket on work sites. This is so that the public know when and where Community Payback work is being done.
The court may order you to do any or all of the following requirements::
- Supervision – regular sessions with an offender manager to help you stop offending
- Unpaid Work (Community Payback) – you will work in the community, paying back for the harm you have caused
- Programme – a course to help you change so you stop offending
- Drug Rehabilitation – to help you overcome your drug problem by treatment and testing
- Alcohol treatment – to help you overcome your alcohol problem
- Curfew – to stop you going out between agreed hours, sometimes with electronic monitoring
- Residence – you must live at a place agreed by the court
- Activity – an activity to improve your skills or spend time with the victim of your crime
- Exclusion – to stop you going somewhere because you have committed an offence there
- Prohibited Activity – bans you from something such as attending a football match or using the internet
- Mental Health Treatment – professional medical help for problems which led to you to offend
- Attendance centre (for under 25s) – you must go to an attendance centre for set hours