eprintid: 27991 rev_number: 22 eprint_status: archive userid: 5 dir: disk0/00/02/79/91 datestamp: 2017-10-13 12:40:15 lastmod: 2017-10-13 12:40:15 status_changed: 2017-10-13 12:40:15 type: thesis metadata_visibility: show creators_name: O'Hara, Kate browse_creators: O'Hara:Kate:: title: Examining the comparative use, experience, and outcomes of community service orders as alternatives to short prison sentences in Ireland. ispublished: pub subjects: MN36 subjects: MN36-6-8 subjects: MO subjects: MO4-12-2 subjects: TU8-8-4 subjects: TV6-2 subjects: VH4-2 full_text_status: public abstract: ‘Examining the comparative use, experience, and outcomes of community service orders as alternatives to short prison sentences in Ireland’ by Dr Kate O’Hara is the outcome of a 3-year employment-based PhD research project (2013-16), co-funded by the Irish Research Council and IPRT, in association with Dublin Institute of Technology. The research examined the application of Community Service Orders (CSOs) and short prison sentences across court type and jurisdiction from 2011. The experiences and perceptions of punishment by those who received alternate sanctions were also explored. The IPRT Discussion Paper Community Service in Ireland, is based on the doctoral research of Dr O'Hara. IPRT believes that Ireland’s penal policy should be focused on non-custodial responses to crime, with rehabilitation and social integration at its centre. The paper outlines key points regarding the use of community service, such as: • Community service is under-utilised in Ireland as an alternative to imprisonment. • There is a clear variability in the use of community service orders across court jurisdictions in Ireland. • Community service can provide offenders with an opportunity to improve self-esteem, to gain a strong daily routine, and to maintain links with family. • There is a strong association between community service and future work or training prospects. • Short periods of imprisonment can have long-lasting negative effects, including disruption to family relationships, contact with social or community services, and loss of employment. The IPRT Discussion Paper also outlines 20 key recommendations as to how community service could be better utilised in Ireland. If implemented, IPRT believes that these recommendations would help promote consistency in the use of CSOs as an alternative to imprisonment nationally, enhance public confidence in its effectiveness as a response to offending behaviour, and achieve the full potential of non-custodial alternatives. Examples of these recommendations are as follows: • The principle of imprisonment as a last resort should be enshrined in legislation, with a mandatory provision that judges must provide written reasons where a custodial sentence of less than 12 months is imposed instead of a non-custodial alternative. • The Criminal Justice (Community Sanctions) Bill should be progressed. • A comprehensive review of the operation of community service at national level should be undertaken in order to evaluate its current effectiveness. • The average time taken to complete CSOs in each court jurisdiction should be monitored and published. This is important if the credibility of the sanction as a true alternative to custody is to be enhanced. • Gender-specific non-custodial community-service orders, which take into account the complex needs of women who offend, should be developed and made available on a nationwide basis. This paper extends IPRT’s position on community-based alternatives to prison, as set out in the IPRT Position Paper 8 Community Sanctions (2010). date: 2016 date_type: published browse_by: O'Hara Kate pages: 429 p. institution: Dublin Institute of Technology department: College of Arts and Tourism thesis_type: phd doc_order_by: 12 vol_subject_list: MN36 , MN36-6-8 , MO , MO4-12-2 , TU8-8-4 , TV6-2 , VH4-2 vol_subject_list_words: MM-MO Crime and law > Criminal penalty -- MM-MO Crime and law > Criminal penalty > Community service (penalty) -- MM-MO Crime and law > Law enforcement and the justice system -- MM-MO Crime and law > Justice system > Correctional system and facility > Prison -- T Demographic characteristics > Prison Inmate (prisoner) -- T Demographic characteristics > Offender vol_subject_list_geo_words: VA Geographic area > Europe > Ireland vol_subject_list_words_last: Criminal penalty -- Criminal penalty - Community service (penalty) -- Law enforcement and the justice system -- Justice system - Correctional system and facility - Prison -- Prison Inmate (prisoner) -- Offender vol_subject_list_geo_words_last: Europe - Ireland ace_words: O'Hara Kate sticky: 0 home_hide: no citation: O'Hara, Kate (2016) Examining the comparative use, experience, and outcomes of community service orders as alternatives to short prison sentences in Ireland. PhD thesis, Dublin Institute of Technology. document_url: http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/27991/2/KOH_Cummunity_Service_In_Ireland_PhD_THESIS.pdf document_url: http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/27991/1/IPRT_Discussion_Paper_-_Community_Service_in_Ireland.pdf