Social Control » Community Sanctions

What you'll learn this session

Study time: 30 minutes

The definition and purpose of community sanctions
Different types of community sanctions in the UK
The effectiveness of community sanctions as a form of social control
Advantages and disadvantages of community sanctions
Case studies of community sanctions in practice
The role of community sanctions in restorative justice

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Introduction to Community Sanctions

Community sanctions are punishments given to offenders that allow them to remain in the community rather than going to prison. They're a key part of the criminal justice system and represent an important form of social control that aims to both punish and rehabilitate offenders.

Key Definitions:

Community Sanctions: Non-custodial penalties that allow offenders to serve their sentences while remaining in the community.
Social Control: The methods used by society to encourage conformity to norms, values and laws.
Rehabilitation: The process of helping an offender to stop offending and become a law-abiding member of society.
Restorative Justice: An approach that focuses on repairing harm caused by crime by involving the victim, offender and community.

👤 Formal Social Control

Community sanctions are a form of formal social control. This means they are official punishments given by authorities like courts and the police. They aim to enforce laws and maintain order in society.

👥 Informal Social Control

This contrasts with informal social control, which includes things like disapproval from family or friends. Community sanctions often work alongside informal controls, as offenders remain in their communities where they face social judgement.

Types of Community Sanctions in the UK

The UK has developed a range of community sanctions to deal with different types of offenders and offences. Each has specific aims and requirements:

⌚ Community Payback

Offenders must complete unpaid work in the community, such as removing graffiti, clearing wasteland, or decorating public buildings. This is visible to the public and aims to 'pay back' for crimes committed.

🎓 Rehabilitation Programmes

These address specific offending behaviours, such as anger management courses, drug and alcohol treatment, or educational programmes to improve employment prospects.

🏠 Curfews & Electronic Monitoring

Offenders must stay at a specific address during certain hours, often enforced using electronic tags that alert authorities if they break the rules.

💬 Supervision Orders

Regular meetings with a probation officer to monitor behaviour and provide support with issues like housing, employment and addiction.

🚫 Exclusion Orders

Bans from entering specific areas where offences were committed, such as town centres, shopping areas or football grounds.

📅 Suspended Sentences

Prison sentences that are 'suspended' (not carried out) as long as the offender complies with certain conditions and doesn't reoffend.

Effectiveness of Community Sanctions

The effectiveness of community sanctions is often measured by looking at reoffending rates (recidivism) and comparing them to prison sentences. Research shows mixed results, but there are several key advantages and disadvantages:

✅ Advantages

Cost-effective: Much cheaper than prison (around £2,800 per year compared to £40,000 for prison)
Maintains community ties: Offenders can keep jobs, housing and family relationships
Reduces prison overcrowding: Helps manage prison population levels
Rehabilitation focus: Addresses underlying causes of crime
Avoids 'criminal schools': Prevents offenders learning new criminal skills in prison
Reparation to community: Offenders can give back through unpaid work

❌ Disadvantages

Public perception: Often seen as a 'soft option' or 'getting away with it'
Compliance issues: Some offenders fail to complete requirements
Resource limitations: Underfunding can reduce effectiveness
Inconsistent application: Quality varies between different areas
Not suitable for all: Serious offenders may need prison
Stigma: Electronic tags and visible community service can label offenders

Community Sanctions and Restorative Justice

Community sanctions often incorporate elements of restorative justice, which focuses on repairing harm rather than just punishing offenders. This approach brings together victims, offenders and community members to address the impact of crime.

🤝 Victim-Offender Mediation

Facilitated meetings between victims and offenders allow victims to explain the impact of the crime and offenders to apologise and make amends. This can be part of a community sanction and helps offenders understand the consequences of their actions.

🗓 Reparation Orders

Young offenders can be required to repair the damage they've caused, either directly to the victim or through community service. This helps them take responsibility for their actions while giving something back to those affected.

Case Study Focus: Youth Offending Teams

Youth Offending Teams (YOTs) in the UK work with young people aged 10-17 who get into trouble with the law. They use a range of community sanctions tailored to young offenders:

Referral Orders: First-time young offenders meet with a panel of community volunteers and victims to agree on a contract of activities to make amends.
Youth Rehabilitation Orders: Can include curfews, supervision, educational requirements and restorative justice activities.

Example: In 2019, a 15-year-old boy in Manchester who vandalised a community centre was given a Referral Order. Rather than receiving a criminal record, he had to help repair the damage, attend an anti-social behaviour programme and meet with those affected. The community centre reported that he later became a volunteer there, showing how community sanctions can transform relationships and behaviour.

Sociological Perspectives on Community Sanctions

Different sociological perspectives have varying views on the role and effectiveness of community sanctions:

💼 Functionalist View

Functionalists see community sanctions as helping to reintegrate offenders into society and maintain social order. They view them as serving the function of both punishment and rehabilitation, helping offenders learn to conform to society's norms.

⚖ Marxist View

Marxists might argue that community sanctions are applied differently to working-class and middle-class offenders, reflecting wider inequalities. They might see them as a cost-saving measure rather than a genuine attempt at rehabilitation.

💭 Interactionist View

Interactionists focus on how community sanctions might label offenders and affect their self-identity. They're interested in how sanctions might either reinforce or help change an offender's view of themselves.

Case Study Focus: The Impact of COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly affected community sanctions in the UK. With social distancing requirements, many face-to-face probation meetings moved online and community payback schemes were suspended. This created both challenges and opportunities:

Some offenders found remote supervision less effective for support
Others appreciated the flexibility of phone or video check-ins
The backlog of unpaid work hours grew substantially
The situation forced innovation in how community sanctions are delivered

This case highlights how community sanctions must adapt to changing social conditions and raises questions about the importance of in-person contact for effective rehabilitation and monitoring.

The Future of Community Sanctions

Community sanctions continue to evolve, with several trends shaping their future development:

Technology: Increasing use of GPS tracking, remote monitoring and apps for offender management
Personalisation: More tailored approaches based on individual risk factors and needs
Evidence-based practice: Greater focus on what works according to research
Community involvement: More emphasis on engaging local communities in rehabilitation
Mental health: Better integration with mental health services to address underlying issues

As society's understanding of crime and punishment evolves, community sanctions are likely to play an increasingly important role in the criminal justice system, balancing punishment, public protection and rehabilitation in ways that prison sentences often cannot.

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