Community Payback scheme faces backlash from the public

The Community Payback scheme has been updated as part of the Anti-Social Behaviour Action Plan. Community Payback aims to keep people who have committed offences out of prison and instead allows them to keep their freedom. However, the group of people who have committed crimes will be made to work up to 20,000 hours over the course of six months.

The 20,000 hours of work over six months will be split amongst the people who have committed offences across four regions. The four regions include Greater Manchester, the East of England, Wales and the North East. The long stretch of hours will also be unpaid.

The minor offences that have been committed amongst the Community Payback workers include theft, criminal damage, and alcohol-related incidents. Each person is not considered to be a public threat.

The work has been dubbed "hard graft" by the UK government, who justify the unpaid work by noting that this is a way of "giving back" to the community. The offenders will be asked to carry out local clean-ups of vandalism, fly-tipping, and littering.

Hazel, who has worked as a Community Payback (CP) Supervisor for at least five years, recognised: "Due to various challenges, including things like homelessness or mental health issues, many live quite chaotic lives."

"They're not necessarily bad people – just individuals who've made poor choices that have led to them having to do CP as part of a community sentence for an offence. We're not here to judge them for what they've done," Hazel added.

The employees of Community Payback, who have not committed a minor offence, earn between £23,637 and £29,046 a year. The Community Payback Supervisors who are stationed in London, earn a further £4,126 a year.

The workers will be on call and are expected to arrive within 48 hours of the case being reported to the Probation Service.

The people who are willing to voluntarily work for their freedom will also be branded with high-vis jackets that read 'Community Payback'. The government have excused the conspicuous workwear with the fact that the offenders need to be seen paying for their crimes in front of their local community.

Alex Chalk, the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice said: "Anti-social behaviour is a blight on our society and can leave proud neighbourhoods feeling neglected."

The Community Payback scheme has been met with criticism from the public. People on social media have argued that the long hours and unpaid work for minor offences are "demotivating" and could push people into "spending time in a facility because it is less embarrassing and easier".

However, people have also spoken out about the offenders who have committed more disturbing crimes being let off by a probationary punishment.

In April 2023, Sean Hogg was found guilty of several attacks, threats and for raping a 13-year-old girl in Scotland. Lord Lake decided not to jail Sean Hogg for the brutal attack, due to his age at the time of the crime. Instead, he got a Community Payback punishment.

The girl has since revealed that she feels regret towards reporting the crime, considering the lack of justice.

Ellie Reeves, the Labour MP for Lewisham West and Penge, acknowledged the increase in drug abuse and lack of prison staff in the UK, saying: "Instead of properly punishing and rehabilitating offenders, getting them ready to re-enter society, and preparing them for the world of work, short sentences spit offenders out from prison more immersed in crime than when they went in."

Ellie Reeves continued to support the probationary work scheme, declaring: "That is exactly where tough, effective community sentences and tough, effective unpaid work schemes that are accountable to communities and victims could make a difference."

The Community Payback website will be relaunched in 2024, making it easier for the public to report anti-social behaviours, and to nominate projects to the Community Payback work group.

An investment of up to £93 million has also been ploughed into the Community Payback scheme, which will make for more offenders completing millions of unpaid work hours a year.