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What is Community Payback?
Community Payback is a tough and visible consequence for people who have committed a crime.
Offenders can be sentenced by the courts to carry out up to 300 hours unpaid work for the community and in Bedfordshire, more than 100,000 hours of Community Payback are completed every year by offenders on a community sentence.
This equates to approximately £500,000 of free labour (based on minimum wage) provided to local communities, as offenders pay back for the crimes they have committed.
Community Payback projects range from litter-removal to clearing dense undergrowth and environmental projects through repairing and redecorating community centres to removing graffiti. Offenders usually work as part of a team, monitored by a supervisor, and will work all day with short breaks, although there are some opportunities for individual placements..
We want your ideas
If you have an idea for a Community Payback project, we want to hear it.
To be considered your project must meet the following criteria:
- It must benefit the local community
- It must not take paid work away from others
- No-one must make a profit from the work
- It must be challenging and demanding
- It must be worthwhile and constructive
- Offenders must be seen to be putting something back into the community
Bedfordshire Probation's Community Payback team will assess the project for suitability and for health and safety implications.
Once the work has been completed, a plaque will be displayed with the Community Payback logo, if appropriate. This will indicate where offenders have positively contributed to improving a neighbourhood.
See our Project of the Month
See also our Justice Seen, Justice Done page, when Luton people voted on five Community Payback projects in Spring 2009, as part of a national campaign.
Nominating a Project
Anyone can nominate a project, so, if you are an individual, member of a club, community group, faith group or voluntary organisation and have a project that fits the criteria above, please call Bedfordshire’s Community Payback Team on 01582735153.
Alternatively, please enter your details on our online project form
Or you can email us at Community.Payback@Bedfordshire.Probation.gsi.gov.uk
Please ensure that your email includes the following details:
About you and your organisation
- Your name and organisation (if applicable)
- Your address, including postcode
- Your telepone number and email address.
The Project
- Project name
- Location of project
- A brief description of the work you want done
- When you would like the work to start.
Please confirm that the project meets the following criteria:
- It will benefit the local community
- It will not take paid work away from others
- No-one will make a profit from the work
- It will be worthwhile and constructive
- Offenders will be seen to be positively contributing to the local community.
Thank you for taking the time to do this. We aim to respond to you within 48 hours of receiving your email or phone call.
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