Modern Way Of Solving Cases: Community Service
Alternative sentencing also termed as a community sentence, or non-custodial sentence is a term referring to the various modes of punishment upon convicts of offense. This is different to capital punishment where convicts are punished by death, or custodial sentence, where they are punished by serving a jail term. As the term goes, criminals through alternative sentencing are taken through alternative forms of punishment, other than those stipulated by law. In this concept, users implement ways to reform the offender, in that they are rehabilitated, and also implement reparation, where the offender makes right what he or she did wrong. Here is where the offender pays monetary value to the offended, in a way of compensate their wrong-doings. However, it only applies to those who committed less dangerous crimes. It is therefore a collective term for all the forms of punishment apart from imprisonment. It includes all the activities one does to pay for their wrongs, instead of having their freedoms being limited behind bars.
The qualification for alternative sentencing is tied to some minimum requirements. First of all, a defendant has to be willing to take part in the process. Without readiness of the defendant, the judge may not be able to order a rehabilitative plan to them. Secondly, a communal worker or other managers of the preferred program will be needed to perform an admission’s assessment of the program to realize the suitability of the defendant. Thirdly, this form of a sentence is tied to summary offenses, that is, less perilous wrongdoings. Actions for instance burglary or those related to drugs are not tolerated in alternative sentencing.
There are many factors that contribute or increase the probability of one to be liable to alternative sentencing. These factors are inclusive but not limited to; the defendant having committed the offense for the first time, the defendant having committed a non-violent offense, and the defendant committing the offense while under influence of drugs for example alcohol. Other factors may be; when the offender is not a peril to the offended or community when the defendant has a stable job and of great value to society, and when he or she has a support linkage to inspire completion of a program. The chance of acquiring alternative sentencing may also increase when the defendant has begun a treatment program and shows aptitude to finish it up.
Alternative sentencing includes activities like labor without remuneration, household detention through use of electronic monitoring, restitution and fines, work release and weekend jail programs, jail diversion, and rehabilitation programs.
Restitution is a term referring to compensation to the victim in terms of money. It is the reimbursement of monetary damages to the victim. On the other hand, fines are paid to the government through the courts of law. For instance, a defendant who has been sued of wrongdoing may have the wrong assessed then he or she may be ordered to pay the victim the value of damages that were caused. Fines can also be charged as alternative sentence, and the judge may order the defendant to pay monetary terms, even if the crime never constituted any monetary damage.
Work release and weekend jail programs are also programs enshrined in alternative sentencing. Work release applies to the state where the defendant is a formally employed individual or is at a greater chance of obtaining one. The defendant is granted a chance to attend duty whether it is scheduled for day or night, and after duty, they serve their jail term. For instance, a convict may attend duty from 8 am, fulfill their duty obligations, then after duty, say pm, they will be obliged to return to jail to serve their jail term. The same will apply for those working overnight. During the day they will be required to serve their jail term and released to go and serve their night duty job obligations.
Weekend jail terms are similar to work release, only that the defendants who opt for this will have to go to jail from Friday to Sunday. This form of alternative sentencing can be liable to those who have full-time occupations, not forgetting responsibilities, for instance, child care, and providence of care to their vulnerable family members. Weekend jail terms take over the convict’s free time while enabling them be able to take care of their responsibilities, family-wise.
Victims of property crime can always be satisfied with weekend jail or work release, with a combination of restitution. Through it, the defendant may have a chance to work for the money to compensate to their victim, and also find time to work for the money to fend for their own needs. His is much better compared to serving a jail term.
House arrest with electronic monitoring is also another mode of alternative sentencing. In cases involving young adults, house arrests are preferred as the systems of justice may have the defendant monitored, while restricted to their own home. Additionally, the community receives a monetary advantage since electrical monitoring systems are often paid for by the defendant or family, therefore becoming low-priced for taxpayers who may need them.
Labor without remuneration is also another form of alternative sentence. For this option, a defendant may be required to perform unpaid duties that will serve the community, for a set of stipulated time. The duties may include litter collection. The hours of service will often be recorded by an administrator of the program, and the hours will be added and totaled, which will later be reported back to the judge.
Another form of alternative sentencing is jail diversion and rehabilitation programs. Instead of serving a jail term, a defendant may be ordered to undertake a treatment program, for crimes committed on the grounds of substance abuse, or mental illness. Upon successful completion of the program, the defendant may end up avoiding conviction. Common programs constituted in this may include; drug and alcohol rehabilitative programs, treatment by a psychiatrist, and counseling programs. Drivers in traffic disobedience may be needed to complete a driver's program, to avoid prosecution. A drunk driver may be needed to make good use of breathalyzers in the vehicles they drive.
Instead of jail terms, domestic abusers may be compelled to complete abuse-prevention programs. On the other hand, martial personnel may be fit for curricula provisioned by the federal government.
Alternative sentences are advantageous in many ways. Contrary to traditional justice, alternative justice has the advantage of one learning important skills. This is better seen in juvenile defendants, who are caught in their first-time crimes. They are given a chance to rehabilitate and are made to be able to see life in a different perspective, away from crime-related activities. The kid can be made to realize better ways of handling issues, without engaging in crime, and in the future, they can even find their own career paths. Additionally, the house arrest way will be able to help families keep in touch, with children enjoying the company of their mother or father, who are also defendants. It is also more of an advantage to rehabilitate a drug peddler rather than to jail them, where after the jail terms they may again opt for peddling drugs and abuse of them. It is also cheaper for the state to rehabilitate the drug abuser rather than manage them behind bars.
In conclusion, alternative sentencing is a modern way of solving cases, with numerous advantages as compared to traditional sentences. Once the factors are fulfilled, a defendant may opt for it. It puts correctional options as a priority.
