Community Service Program 175 Fulton Avenue, Suite 401 Hempstead, NY 11550 (516) 483-2323	RETURN TO PREVIOUS PAGE

Description: The Community Service Program is a cost-effective, safe and viable sentencing alternative for individuals 16 years of age and older who are willing, physically and mentally capable of making reparation for their “quality of life offenses” through their performance of community service.

Program Impact: Community Service has been shown to be an effective alternative consistent with the principles of restorative justice with significant benefits to offenders and communities alike. Community service can be a reparative sanction that links the nature of the service to the offense to be sanctioned; it can be a positive sanction that evokes responsibility from the offender for his/her actions; it can reduce the burden on the system of incarceration (Walgrave, 1992 at 346). Community service provides an opportunity for the offender to see first-hand the indirect injuries caused by his/her offense. In this way, the offender may see the reasons for the limits of social tolerance. Moreover, the offender is provided with a constructive, proactive means of repairing the injuries caused by his/her crime, with the potential to improve the offender's overall sense of self-worth (Eliaerts at 2). This can be an effective means of promoting the offender's legitimacy (Faulkner, 1994 at 161). Finally, offenders' services can be a tremendous resource to governmental and non-profit organizations. (Van Ness, 1986 at 165).

The emphasis of community service is not on punishment nor on rehabilitation; rather, it is on accountability (Wright, 1991 at 44). It focuses "not on offenders' needs but their strengths; not on their lack of insight but their capacity for responsibility; not on their vulnerability to social and psychological factors but their capacity to choose" (44).

Program Outcomes: Supervised community service activities provide much-needed benefits such as parks and highway beautification, graffiti clean-up and support to social service agencies and governmental worksites. Participants develop new skills. Underlying human service, health or vocational needs that may have contributed to the original offense are identified and addressed. Participants are linked to supportive services. Clients gain a better understanding of how their behavior adversely impacted the community. Community service often leads to employment or volunteer opportunities for individuals who enjoyed the work they performed.

Funding: Program funding is supported by the Office of the Nassau County District Attorney and client fees.