Why community service could be Ireland’s most effective crime prevention tool

By Megan Farrell, Wexford People

At a time when Ireland’s criminal justice system faces growing pressure, probation and community service are quietly proving to be powerful tools in reducing reoffending and helping individuals rebuild their lives. Yet despite clear evidence of success, these alternatives to prison remain underused.

Fíona Ní Chinnéide, Deputy Director of Prisons and Reintegration, believes this must change. Speaking about the national probation strategy and its local implementation, she emphasises a simple but powerful idea: “Probation at our core is belief in people’s capacity for positive change, but what is important is that this is based on evidence, and an evidence-informed approach. Data tells us it works.”

Data on reoffending from the Central Statistics Office shows that individuals given community service orders are the least likely to reoffend, with a reoffending rate of just 23 per cent, compared to 30 per cent for general probation and higher for prison sentences.

Yet, according to Ms Ní Chinnéide, the potential of this sanction is far from being maximised. Three reviews conducted over 2021 to 2024 showed that community service is a sanction that is underutilised and it’s potential is not being maximised.

A judge considering imposing a sentence of imprisonment can order a community service report for suitability to be carried out by the probation service. The judge can then order a minimum of 40 hours or a maximum 240 hours unpaid work which must be completed within 12-months for the benefit of the community.

Since 2011 judges must consider community service in lieu of a prison sentence of 12-months or less, however since this legislation there are falling rates of community service orders.

A new legislative proposal aims to reverse that trend. The Justice Minister aims to introduce legislation increasing the limit to 480 hours unpaid work and also increase time in which done to two years to encourage the use of community service order for more serious offences. Fíona believes “harm is committed in a community so community payback is important".

Community service is important to consider when you have a first time offender who is employed, has a house, with no social issues and in these circumstances community service rather than imprisonment is less damaging. On the other hand when sentencing individuals from a background of social exclusion, addiction, and intergenerational employment community service can offer a straight route out of crime and helps these individuals experience structure.

In 2024 alone, over 22,000 hours of unpaid work were carried out by people on community service across Ireland, contributing an estimated €2.5 million worth of labour to the public good. The projects range from graffiti removal and gardening, to working with charities and local services.

There are 50 community service supervisors in all counties, with more in Dublin and Cork, that oversee the work. These supervisors work closely with clients for eight hours a day modelling prosocial behaviour and teaching various skills which is a big aspect of community service.

A range of community service work can be undertaken but the majority are group sites. One case in Cavan seen community service clients create a garden in an Alzheimer’s residential centre the residents were so pleased with the work carried out they asked for their chairs to be rearranged to so they could watch the work being done.

There is also graffiti bus in Cork and Dublin which works on removing graffiti in a number of different places in one day. Individual placements are also an option as the probation services are keen to have a diversity of community services placements which are culturally appropriate. There is great consideration taken to ensure the placement suits a person.

Around 50 per cent of people released from Irish prisons are supervised on probation.

Of those, the reoffending rate is just 18 per cent, and the majority of these reoffences are minor, such as public order or road traffic offences. Prior to release, individuals undergo a risk assessment using the “Risk-Need-Responsivity” model.

This considers both static risks (which cannot be changed such as reoffending history) and dynamic risks (which can be changed like addiction), alongside personal needs like housing or mental health supports. An offence focused case management plan is then formed focusing on the interventions needed such as anger management or emotional regulation. The probation services focus on offence analysis and working with the offender on the impact of the harm caused.

An increasingly valued part of the reintegration process is restorative justice, a process that allows victims to engage with offenders in a structured, voluntary setting.

“The expectation is not necessarily to mend the relationship but is more about allowing the injured party to ask questions and discuss the impact it had on them” Ms Ní Chinnéide says. Restorative justice is more focused on closure and Ms Ní Chinnéide added “it certainly has been proven those who choose restorative justice routes have very high victim satisfaction levels.”

Restorative justice services are now available in every county, including through the Cornmarket Project in Wexford, and are supported by a new three-year strategy from the Department of Justice.

Despite these promising tools, Ms Ní Chinnéide is clear that reducing reoffending isn’t only about sanctions. It’s about addressing the underlying issues that drive criminal behaviour, many of which lie outside the justice system. She points to stark statistics: 81 per cent of people on probation have a history of drug or alcohol misuse, of this population individuals with an addiction to both drugs and alcohol was 50 per cent, whereas 17 per cent was drug only and 14 per cent alcohol only.

There is also a very high percentage of mental health issues to consider relating to probation clients with approximately double the prevalence of mental health issues in relation to the general public with women on probation particularly affected.

Homelessness is another major concern. “The difficulties accessing stable and safe accommodation both coming out of prison and on probation is affecting all of society” she notes. “Sometimes, the experience of being homeless itself makes an individual more likely to commit public order offences.”

Recognising these systemic issues, the Department of Justice is working closely with the Department of Health on a joint task force. The project entitled Community Access Support Team (CAST) is a partnership between An Garda Síochána and Mental Health Services HSE Mid West and was rolled out in the Limerick Garda Division during late 2024. The project comprises of intervention, prevention and outreach with the potential to yield a better outcome for persons experiencing a mental health crisis or situational trauma.

The CAST team is be based at Henry Street Garda Station and will aim to reduce future presentations and interactions with Gardaí or other blue light emergency services, through community follow-ups and the case management of complex cases.

While prison remains necessary in many cases, Ms Ní Chinnéide highlights that short custodial sentences, particularly those under 12 months, often do more harm than good. “Over 3,000 people each year are sent to prison for less than 12 months,” she says. “We would like to see those numbers reversed. We want safer communities, and effective punishment has to consider what happens next. Because when people don’t reoffend we all benefit, fewer crimes mean fewer victims.”

With rising pressure on all parts of the criminal justice system, probation services have seen a 10 per cent increase in staffing, a welcome step, but one that still requires further investment.

Ultimately it would appear that the key to reducing crime lies not just in stronger enforcements and harsher punishments, but in stronger communities and smarter justice.