The Community Service Order Program offers the Court an alternative sanction to incarceration (or some other penalty) for offenders to be placed on a probation order or a conditional sentence that requires them to perform a specific number of hours of community service work.  The work is performed for approved local governments, Indian bands, or non-profit organisations.  Regional Program Co-ordinators are available in each region to instruct and assist the program.

Access to the Community Service Order Program is usually, but not always, by way of a Pre-Sentence Report or a community service order report.  The Court may consider the following factors:

• Is the offender a risk for the community or the program?
• Is the offender able to perform community service work?
• Is there suitable work available?  In a rural area, is the agency willing to accept the offender?
• Is the offender available to perform the work?

The Court determines the number of community service hours to be worked to a maximum of 240 hours.  Offenders ordered to perform community service work could face further court sanction if they do not complete the required work or they fail to comply with the rules and regulations of the program.

Community Service Order Program participants, who may be injured, are covered by The Workers' Compensation Board Act while performing community service work assigned by the Community Service Order Agency.

Community Service work means participating in a work activity that:

• Is normally performed by volunteers and does not affect employment opportunities in the community.
• Benefits non-profit organizations, local governments, or Indian Bands.
• Creates benefits visible in the community.
• Involves the participant working, preferably, with other citizens rather than alone.
• Does not include treatment or counselling.

Program benefits:

• Socially productive penalty.
• Corrective in nature. Offenders have an opportunity to repay their debt to society.
• They gain work experience and learn their work can be useful and appreciated.
• Demand for costly institutional space is reduced.
• Participation of the community in the Criminal Justice System is facilitated.

Responsibilities of the Community Service Order Co-ordinator/Probation Officer:

• Supervise and assist in developing Community Service Order agencies and work placements in his/her assigned region.
• Provide instructions to agencies on the procedures and regulations of the program.
• Supervise participants ordered to do community service work. When a participant receives a Probation Order, he/she reports to the Community Service Order Co-ordinator/Probation Officer who explains the conditions of the order and participant's responsibilities in the program. The Community Service Order Co-ordinator/Probation Officer consults with the approved agency or work placement to arrange for suitable work.
• Provide reports to the Court to assist in the ordering of community service work.
• Investigate complaints about the Community Service Order Program.
• Provide information and consultation to the community and members of the criminal justice system regarding the Community Service Order Program.

New community service order cases opened in the jurisdiction when sorted by ethnicity and sex appear as follows:

Ethnicity

Sex

Dollar value and hours of community service worked: (from closed cases)