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General Information

Community Payback in Bolton is run in partnership between Bolton Community Payback Unit, Bolton Police and Bolton Council. Community Payback enables the work done by offenders in Bolton to receive public recognition, and allows the public to contribute ideas as to which work projects are undertaken. It is critical that Community Payback hours are used effectively both as a punishment, and to benefit the community as well as to rehabilitate offenders. When a Community Payback project is being carried out in Bolton offenders working on schemes wear orange jackets and large signs are erected at the site to alert the public that the work is being carried out. Local residents who benefit from schemes in their areas are also informed by leaflet drops and blue tooth messages in the vicinity. Look out for the large orange “Justice Seen Justice Done” signs on vans and at work sites where Community Payback is being carried out.

Schemes

List of schemes  - to be updated

Courts

When sentencing offenders, courts have a number of options available, including punishment and rehabilitation in the community under Community Orders.

Using guidelines issued by the Sentencing Guidelines Council, sentencers will consider how an individual sentence will ensure that offenders are both punished and rehabilitated while making sure they contribute positively to their local communities.   

Community Order

This will consist of one or more requirements, though rarely more than four. Orders are tailored to the specific requirements of the individual offender and case. Requirements range from punishment to rehabilitation and are commonly referred to as the Tailored 12.

An order can run for up to three years, and whilst there is no minimum duration for an order, some requirements have a minimum number of hours that must be imposed.

Compulsory Community Payback Requirements:  

• May be for between 40 and 300 hours and must be completed within 12 months. Activities are demanding and constructive and must benefit the local community.
• Participation in Specified Activities may include improving basic skills such as reading, writing and numeracy.
• Programmes aimed at changing offenders' thinking and behaviour.
• Prohibition from certain activities such as attending football matches.
• Curfew - a requirement to stay in a particular location for certain hours of the night or day. An electronic tag is normally worn during this part of a sentence.
• Mental Health Treatment may be ordered by the court on receiving professional advice.
• Exclusion - prohibition from certain areas (for up to 2 years). An electronic tag will be worn during this time.
• Residence requirement to live in a specified place such as an approved hostel or other approved accommodation.
• Alcohol Treatment appropriate for offenders whose crime is linked to alcohol abuse. Treatment will last for at least 6 months.
• Drug Rehabilitation for crimes linked to drug abuse, an offender may be required to go on a Drug Rehabilitation Programme. These last between 6 months and 3 years.

Supervision

• A requirement to attend meetings with an Offender Manager / Probation Officer. The focus and frequency of meetings is based on the particular issues an offender needs to work on.
• Attendance Centre for offenders under 25 years of age, 12 to 36 hours may be required to be spent at an attendance centre over a specified time period. There is a structured opportunity for offenders to address offending behaviour in a group environment.

Safety Messages

The Probation Service's number one priority is the protection of the public so each offender is carefully assessed before they are assigned to a project of work. This assessment looks at an offender's criminal and personal history, the crimes they have committed - and the risk they pose to the public.

Men and women, who are assessed as being unsuitable for work in the community, are managed in workshops that are based at Probation Centres or are supervised on enclosed projects that involve no direct contact with the public. Small teams of offenders working in the community are supervised by fully trained supervisors working for the Probation Service. They are transported to and from the project of work.

Each team is overseen at all times by a supervisor.

The offenders must turn up on time and must not miss a session. Whilst on the placement they must behave well and work hard. We assess the project for suitability and for health and safety implications.