Community Payback is a punishment handed out by the courts. It’s demanding unpaid work, carried out by offenders in the community. It’s a national scheme delivered locally by South Yorkshire Probation.
In South Yorkshire more than 240,000 hours of Community Payback are completed every year by offenders on a community sentence. This equates to approximately £1.4 million of free labour provided to local communities by offenders paying back for the crimes they have committed.
Offenders have to wear orange high-visibility jackets, marked Community Payback, so you can see that they’re paying back your community for their crimes.
Community Payback projects range from the upgrading of local community areas to clearing dense undergrowth, and environmental projects through repairing and redecorating community centres or removing graffiti.
You can help decide what work Community Payback offenders do in their community.
Anyone can nominate a project as long as it:
- is challenging and demanding
- benefits the local community
- is worthwhile and constructive
- doesn’t take paid work away from others
- doesn’t make a profit for any individual or organisation
- provides sufficient work to fully occupy a group of offenders
- is within the capabilities of the Community Payback Unit to undertake
- can satisfy Health and Safety requirements
So, if you are an individual, member of a club, community group, faith group or voluntary organisation and have a project that fits the criteria above, please complete the form by clicking here or call your local South Yorkshire Probation Office.
Sheffield 0114 2725058
Rotherham 01709 376761
Doncaster 01302 787758
Barnsley 01226 243331
Alternatively, email community.payback@south-yorkshire.probation.gsi.gov.uk
The Community Payback team will assess all suggested projects for suitability.
Offenders usually work as part of a team, although there are some opportunities for individual placements. The teams are managed and monitored by a supervisor. Offenders work all day with short breaks.
Once the work has been completed a plaque will be displayed with the Community Payback logo, if appropriate. This will indicate where offenders have positively contributed to improving a neighbourhood.
Remember, if you have any suggestions for future Community Payback projects, please download the request form here, or e-mail us at: community.payback@south-yorkshire.probation.gsi.gov.uk