Previously community payback had been carried out in dribs and drabs. Since September, anyone convicted of a knife-related offence who is unemployed and sentenced to the maximum 300 hours of community payback from the courts now completes their sentence in intensive blocks of up to five days a week. 

Community payback can include tasks such as picking up litter, renovating community centres, and clearing undergrowth and graffiti for local communities.

 

Justice Minister David Hanson said: "Offenders sentenced to 'pay' for their crimes within the community can expect to work hard and lose much of their free time. 

"By introducing intensive five-days-a-week payback for many knife crime offenders we are further toughening these punishments". 

"The Public can already suggest projects for offenders to work on to their local probation office, and we are intending to set up community panels linked closely to local communities which will further enable members of the public to propose work projects for offenders in their local area."

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Last year 55,771 community payback sentences were completed across England and Wales, providing over six million hours of free labour for communities.

 

Recent statistics show that the frequency of re-offending for community sentences has fallen sharply. The re-offending rate following a short custodial sentence is 59.7%. The re-offending rate following a community sentences is 37.9%.