Community Service by offenders, now called unpaid work, was an international first for England & Wales and was imitated by countries around the world. John Harding was the first senior probation/community service officer in Nottinghamshire; one of five areas charged with introducing community service legislation in 1972. In this video, he talks about the history of Community Service and reflects on its uncertain future.
The idea for the legislation came from the Wootton Committee, presided over by Baroness Wootton. The policies were adopted by the government on the condition that community service was piloted in five areas. John and his team in Nottinghamshire had just three months preparation time to locate tasks for offenders. The pilot scheme began on the 1st of January 1973 and ran for two years. The first order in the world was made in Nottingham Crown Court for an offender supplying cannabis.
The pilots were successful and research outcomes were positive; by 1975, Community Service was introduced throughout England and Wales as a viable alternative to prison. Over the last eight years, John has worked for the European Union as an expert on alternative sanctions in Russia, Turkey and Serbia.
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