What is Community Payback?
Community Payback, also known as unpaid work or community service, is used as a restorative punishment as part of a community or suspended sentenced order. Individuals receiving this punishment can be required to carry out between 30-400 hours of reparative work on projects that benefit their local communities and “payback” wrongdoing.
Community Payback aims to provide visible opportunities for individuals to learn and develop new skills to enhance their employability, support re-integration into their communities and in turn reduce re-offending.
Those who carry out Community Payback are also eligible to complete education, training and employment programmes as part of their sentence, with up to 30% of their hours able to be used for these rehabilitative activities.
Examples of Community Payback projects include clearing, painting and decorating community spaces, fly tip and pathway clearance, community cooking projects, building and creating bespoke items for community areas, graffiti clearance, litter picking and many more.
What we are doing
The Police and Crime Commissioner for South Wales is committed to working with communities, alongside HMPPS and partners, to support and co-produce Community Payback projects that are locally and collaboratively designed based on best practice and local priorities to ensure Community Payback is meaningful to both the individual, supporting re-integration and reducing re-offending, and our communities by creating safer spaces.
How can you help?
To nominate or support a Community Payback project in your area as an individual, charity, local business or other enterprise please click the link below.
Nominate a Community Payback project – GOV.UK