9781422282748

CHAPTER ONE: JUSTICE

COMMUNITY SERVICE

Community service is a common sentence in both retributive justice and restorative justice. In retributive justice, community service is often used as a punishment for minor crimes, as a way to reduce crowding in prisons and to serve as a deterrent (you will often see offenders working in public). In restorative justice, the sentence is seen as a way for the offender to give back to the community. Common forms of community service include cleaning public areas, such as parks or highways, and performing minor maintenance such as painting buildings or cutting grass. Community service may also include speaking to groups at risk for committing crimes, including juveniles.

A community service work detail for the 35th District Court, in Northville, Michigan.

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