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3. Community Service Orders - excluding Probation Orders with a Requirement of Unpaid Work (Charts 6 to 9 and Tables 3.1 to 3.8)
3.1 A total of 5,937 CSOs (excluding Probation Orders with a Requirement of Unpaid Work) were made in 2006-07. This represents an increase of 0.2 per cent from the 2005-06 total of 5,927.
Chart 6: Number of Community Service Orders (1) 2004-05 to 2006-07
1. Excluding Probation Orders with a Requirement of Unpaid Work.
3.2 The incidence of CSOs (excluding Probation Orders with a Requirement of Unpaid Work) was 16.3 per 10,000 population in 2006-07.
3.3 Male offenders accounted for 90 per cent of CSOs (excluding Probation Orders with a Requirement of Unpaid Work).
3.4 CSOs (excluding Probation Orders with a Requirement of Unpaid Work) were relatively more common amongst young offenders, with 59.3 orders per 10,000 population for 18-20 year olds and 43.0 orders per 10,000 population for 21-25 year olds. Females receiving CSOs tended to be older, with 59 per cent of such orders relating to over 25 year olds. The corresponding proportion for males was 46 per cent.
Chart 7: Community Service Orders (1) by Age and Gender of Offender, 2006-07
Orders per 10,000 population
1. Excludes Probation Orders with a Requirement of Unpaid Work.
3.5 The average length of a CSO (excluding Probation Orders with a Requirement of Unpaid Work) in 2006-07 was 145 hours, slightly lower than the 146 hours in 2005-06. On average, males (145 hours) received slightly longer orders than females (143 hours).
3.6 The employment status of offenders provides an indication of whether the offender is likely to be available for work during normal working hours (i.e. weekdays between 9 am and 5 pm). Fifty-three per cent of CSOs (excluding Probation Orders with a Requirement of Unpaid Work) were given to offenders who were either unemployed or not seeking employment. Just over one third were employed or self employed, in full time education or on a government sponsored training scheme. A further 12 per cent were recorded under 'other' employment status.
3.7 Males receiving CSOs were relatively more likely to be employed (33 per cent) than females (22 per cent), while females were more likely to be not seeking employment (14 per cent as opposed to 5 per cent of males).
Breach Applications of Community Service Orders
3.8 There were 1,892 breach applications made to the Courts in 2006-07 in respect of CSOs (excluding Probation Orders with a Requirement of Unpaid Work). This represented an increase of 26 per cent compared with the 1,502 breach applications in 2005-06.
Chart 8: Breach Applications of CSOs (1,2) by Main Outcome, 2002-03 to 2006-07
1. Excludes Probation Orders with a Requirement of Unpaid Work.
3.9 The number of breach applications is not directly comparable with the number of orders provided previously (which covers new orders only) as some of the breach applications may relate to orders started in the previous year. However, as CSOs must be completed within a 12 month period, the number of orders started in 2006-07 (5,937 excluding Probation with Unpaid Work) can be taken as a proxy measure for the number of orders active during the year. This suggests that around 32 per cent of orders resulted in a breach application.
3.10 Thirteen per cent of breach applications resulted in the original order being revoked and a custodial sentence imposed, a decrease from 16 per cent in 2005-06. A further 27 per cent of breaches resulted in the original order being revoked and some other action taken (including order revoked and probation imposed and order revoked and monetary penalty imposed). In 11 per cent of applications, the original order was continued and no further action taken by the court and in 3 per cent of applications, a warrant for apprehension/recall was made. The outcome was not yet known for 34 per cent of breach applications made in 2006-07, a increase from 28 per cent in 2005-06.
3.11 Males accounted for 91 per cent of breach applications. As males also accounted for a similar proportion of all new orders (see paragraph 3.3), this suggests that breach applications are as likely to occur for males as for females.
3.12 An outcome of revoked and custody was more common amongst males (14 per cent) than females (8 per cent). The outcome of order revoked and probation was marginally a more likely outcome for females (5 per cent) than for males (4 per cent).
Terminations of Community Service Orders
3.13 A total of 5,432 CSOs (excluding Probation Orders with a Requirement of Unpaid Work) were terminated in 2006-07, an increase of 7 per cent from the 2005-06 total of 5,093. Sixty-six per cent of these orders were successfully completed, 7 per cent were revoked following a review, 19 per cent of orders were revoked following a breach application to the courts and the remaining 9 per cent were terminated for other reasons (including transfer to another area and death of the offender).
3.14 Females (68 per cent) were slightly more likely to complete their orders successfully than males (65 per cent).
Chart 9: Terminations of CSOs (1) by Reason, 2002-03 to 2006-07
1. Excludes Probation Orders with a Requirement of Unpaid Work.
2. Includes transfers out of the area and death.
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