Previous Article
News
A tripartite strategy for unpaid work in the community
Making communities safer requires an evidence-based approach to reducing reoffending. There is growing consensus across criminal justice literature and wider socio-political contexts that imprisonment is not an effective response to offending behaviour. It serves to further entrench conditions of social injustice, which ultimately reinforce recidivism.
This Academic Insights paper considers the current use of unpaid work in the community as a penal sanction. It highlights that it has the potential to adhere to principles of decarceration (through diversion from custody) and minimum intervention (as a more proportionate response to certain forms of offending) with a view to reducing recidivism. However, the underlying purpose of the sanction is often confused, hindering its strategic design and impact as an alternative to prison.
To address this, the paper proposes the advancement of a tripartite strategy, based on the principles of desistance, restorative justice, and social justice, to guide policy and operational developments relating to unpaid work in the community.
The proposal draws on findings from a report commissioned by the Irish Probation Service as part of its strategy to maximise the potential benefit of community service in the Irish criminal justice system, and to reform and revitalise the current operating model (Kennefick and Guilfoyle, 2022).
>>Click here the full paper.
>>Read more papers about Community Sanctions and Measures in CEP’s Knowledgebase.>>Also check out Academic Insights (justiceinspectorates.gov.uk) from the HM Inspectorate of Probation.
Article written by Eoin Guilfoyle, Lecturer in Criminal Law and Criminal Justice, Brunel University London and Louise Kennefick, Senior Lecturer in Criminal Law, University of Glasglow.
Related News
Keep up to date with the latest developments, stories, and updates on probation from across Europe and beyond. Find relevant news and insights shaping the field today.
New
CEP
Newsletter August 2026 out now
27/08/2026
CEP’s latest newsletter is out now! It includes:
- Approaching deadlines for upcoming events (ITSCCS26, 14th EM and DG leadership training) and the Mental Health curriculum pilot)
- Call for European Probation Journal on the topic of Workload in Probation
- EU documents like SPACE II, revised Victims’ Rights directive and so on
- and much more!
New
Caseload and workload
Do you work in probation? We need your voice!
24/08/2026
As part of its long-standing cooperation with research, CEP invites its members to contribute to a special edition of the European Probation Journal on the topic of Workload in Probation.
New
Alternatives to pre-trial detention, Foreign Nationals in Prison and Probation, Gender Equality, Probation in Europe
SPACE II report is now available
24/08/2026
The use of community sanctions and measures that allow individuals to remain in the community – also known as alternatives to imprisonment – continues to grow overall in Europe, although at a moderate pace, according to the latest Council of Europe annual penal statistics on persons under the supervision of probation agencies (2025 SPACE II survey).
New
Victims rights
Adoption of the revised Victims’ Rights Directive and call for evidence on EU strategy on victims’ rights
05/08/2026
The Council of the European Union has formally approved a new directive strengthening the rights of victims of crime across the EU. The updated law improves access to information, support, and protection by introducing an EU-wide victim support helpline (116 006), making it easier to report crimes through digital tools, strengthening safeguards for victims’ personal data, expanding child-friendly support services, improving access to legal aid, and helping ensure that victims receive compensation more quickly.
This directive updates the 2012 EU Victims’ Rights Directive and aims to ensure that victims receive more consistent and effective support across all Member States. Following its publication in the Official Journal, Member States will have 24 months to transpose the new rules into national law. For more information, see the Council of the European Union’s press release: Council greenlights law reinforcing protection of victims’ rights and check out the revised Victims’ Rights.
Probation Journal
juvenile offenders, Probation in Europe
Overview of Probation Procedures for Juveniles and Adults in Albania
22/07/2026
The Albanian Probation Service plays an important role in the implementation of alternative sanctions and measures for both juveniles and adults. Through supervision, assessment, and rehabilitation-oriented interventions, the Service aims to support compliance with court decisions, reduce the risk of reoffending, and promote the successful reintegration of individuals into society.
Community Sanctions and Measures
Nelson Mandela day
18/07/2026
Nelson Mandela Day reminds us that justice is not only about accountability – it is also about hope. Mandela believed in the dignity of every person and in the possibility of change. These principles are at the heart of probation.
Across Europe, probation professionals work every day to support people in taking responsibility for their actions, rebuilding their lives and successfully reintegrating into their communities. By promoting rehabilitation, social inclusion and human dignity, probation helps reduce reoffending and contributes to safer, more resilient societies.
Subscribe to our bi-monthly email newsletter!
- Keep up to date with important probation developments and insights.