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Community Orders

Offenders may be required to serve out their sentence under a community-based order. Different types of community orders include Community Based Orders, Intensive Correction Orders and Combined Custody and Treatment Orders. Community Correctional Services (CSS) manages adult offenders who are on community-based court orders or Adult Parole Board orders.

Community Based Orders

There are four types of Community Based Orders:

• standard Community Based Orders (CBO)
• Community Based Orders for Community Work only (CBO/CW)
• Community Work Permits (CWP)
• Community Based Orders in Default of Payment of a Fine (CBO/FD).

Standard CBOs can have different program conditions applied based on the offender's needs and the direction of the courts.

The other three orders have only have one program condition - to perform unpaid community work. The offender is required to undertake the unpaid community work hours imposed by the court and report to a Community Corrections Officer when issues arise regarding attendance.

Intensive Correction Orders

An Intensive Correction Order (ICO) is an imprisonment sentence served in the community. In the hierarchy of sentencing, it sits directly under imprisonment.

Under the core conditions of an ICO offenders must:

• report to or receive visits from a Community Corrections Officer twice weekly
• perform unpaid community work and/or participate in treatment as directed by a Community Corrections Officer for 12 hours each week
• participate in any special condition imposed by the court to attend one or more prescribed programs.

Of the 12 hours, eight of these must be spent performing unpaid community work. Part or all of the remaining four hours can involve programs relevant to the offender's offending behaviour, such as assessment and treatment for drug/alcohol issues. If such treatment programs are not applicable, the offender must complete 12 hours of unpaid community work each week.

Combined Custody and Treatment Orders

The Combined Custody and Treatment Order (CCTO) targets those who committed drug- and alcohol-related offences. These orders can only be imposed where the court is satisfied that drunkenness or drug addiction contributed to the offence.

A CCTO can imposed for up to 12 months. At least six months must be served in custody and the offender must participate in mandatory drug and alcohol treatment and testing. The remaining portion (up to six months) is served conditionally in the community.

Parole Orders

When a prisoner is sentenced to more than 12 months imprisonment, there may be a period set where the prisoner is eligible for release on parole. Prisoners granted parole are still under sentence – parole is seen as a means of supervising and assisting prisoners to re-integrate into the community successfully, reducing the likelihood of re-offending.