Criminal Damage
Conditional Caution Reparative Work Pilots
Conditional cautions were introduced in the 2003 Criminal Justice Act, as a disposal for adults willing to admit their guilt for low-level offences. In appropriate cases, by issuing a caution requiring an offender to carry out specified conditions, rather than prosecuting them, the public interest will be met more effectively. Conditions are decided by the Crown Prosecution Service, and offenders who fail to comply with the conditions will usually be prosecuted for the original offence.
Conditional cautions are aimed at addressing the offender's behaviour, or at making the good the harm caused either to the victim or the wider community. Reparative conditional cautions provide a visible message to both the community and the perpetrator that their actions will not be tolerated. They promote responsibility and ensure that there are consequences to selfish and unacceptable behaviour.
Although conditional cautions were introduced in the first tranche of areas two years ago, reparative work conditions have not been widely used due to the complexity in finding and operating suitable work schemes. The Office for Criminal Justice Reform is working with the Respect Taskforce (who are providing funding towards the project) and Probation to increase the opportunities for unpaid reparative work conditions in seven pilot sites.
These sites will test out the feasibility of using unpaid work as a response to low level offending. The aim is for offenders to make good the damage they have caused to the wider community which may have suffered as a result of the offender's behaviour, by carrying out up to 20 hours specified work.
It is expected that an unpaid work condition is most likely to be attached where the offence is criminal damage to public property.
The pilots will take place in Durham, Lancashire, Merseyside, North Wales, South Yorkshire, Thames Valley and West Mercia from January to December 2007. The costs and benefits of using unpaid work as a condition of cautions will be evaluated fully.
Reparative work case study: damage to a church
Reparative work pilots - Q & A
Last update: Thursday, June 28, 2007
