Performing community service: agreements, problems and completion

What community service entails in practice

With a community service order, you do unpaid work. Both a judge and the Public Prosecution Service can impose community service within the applicable rules. For young people, a community service order can also include an educational sentence. This explanation focuses mainly on the execution of a community service order for adults; the precise decision determines which obligation applies to you.

Therefore, first check who imposed the punishment and on what document it is based. In the event of a disagreement with a criminal order, a different route is taken than in the event of a disagreement with a court ruling. A complaint about the subsequent workplace does not automatically challenge the original punishment. Separate those questions from the start.

From decision to a call from the probation service

The CJIB takes care of the administration and passes on information to the implementing organizations. The Netherlands Probation Service will then contact you about the start. Read the call carefully: the appointment can be at an office or community service location, and if you start at a workplace, you can immediately start working hours according to the explanation.

Check that your address and contact details are correct and save the call. If you have lost a letter, do not wait for a new reminder, but request the relevant information. Write down your contact's phone number in a place where you can access it without accessing your email. Accessibility is a practical part of implementation.

Make it clear during the intake what you can do

During the intake, the probation service will discuss your situation and the possibilities for a workplace. Work, study and physical limitations may be discussed. You can mention wishes, but you do not determine the workplace and the schedule yourself. Bring the information needed to truly understand your options.

Formulate limitations in concrete terms: which action is not possible, how long can you stand, when do you have treatment and which documents substantiate this? The general statement that you are busy provides few clues. Ask how agreements are recorded and how to report a change. This way it is clear to both sides what has been discussed.

Plan work, travel time and other obligations together

Community service must be carried out on the specified days and times. Discuss in advance what a schedule means for your job or education. The Dutch Probation Service indicates that implementation during the weekend is not self-evident. So don't ask until the first working day whether all hours can be scheduled exclusively during free moments.

In addition to working hours, take transportation and preparation into account. Check how you can view the tracked hours in the client portal and report a difference with your own overview immediately. Save schedule changes. A personal agenda helps as a reminder, but is not a substitute for official time registration and appointments.

You must report illness according to the specific rules

If you are unable to attend due to illness or an emergency situation, immediately follow the agreed reporting route. Probation Service Netherlands describes that you must call both the project and the probation office. Also read the prescribed time in the current rules and your own agreements. Don't rely on a message to just a colleague or an online notification.

Save relevant information about the prevention and ask what else is required. The probation service can check the reason or request proof. In principle, hours not worked must be made up, even in the event of illness. A medical disability and the question of how the sentence remains enforceable therefore require timely consultation, not a personal decision to stay away.

Discuss problems without stopping the execution itself

If a problem arises with safety, guidance or an appointment, record specifically what happened and discuss it with the contact person. Ask what solution is possible and what you should do in the meantime. Keep correspondence businesslike and verifiable, with dates and the relevant appointment.

According to its explanation, a complaint to the probation service does not mean that the obligations or end term automatically stop. Ask for legal advice if the situation threatens to get stuck. In the event of a warning, it is wise to immediately understand what behavior has been identified, what response is possible and what is necessary to continue implementation.

A failed community service order can lead to deprivation of liberty

Anyone who does not perform a community service order or does not fully perform it may be faced with a commutation decision and alternative detention. The CJIB describes an objection period of two weeks after receipt for a notification of conversion and refers to the criminal registry of the aforementioned court. Have us immediately assess which scheme corresponds to your decision.

Collect the notification, agreements, time sheet and documents about the reasons why implementation went wrong. A lawyer can review the decision and the file. An apology letter to the workplace is not a substitute for a formal objection to the competent authority. Do not wait until an announced deprivation of liberty to arrange help.

Also save the message that you are done

When all hours have been completed, this will be reported to the CJIB and you will receive a completion letter in accordance with the probation explanation. Save that. If you think you have finished but there is still something open, ask about the difference in registration and formal completion. Having noted down the last hour yourself is not the same as receiving a final message.

Execution of the sentence does not automatically make the demand for judicial registration disappear. A separate assessment applies to a later VOG. For legal assistance, discuss what that assistance includes and whether pro deo assistance is possible for the procedure in question.

• Save decision, call and schedule together.
• Discuss limitations and fixed obligations specifically during the intake.
• Record reporting numbers and current logout rules immediately.
• Check hours and warnings in a timely manner.
• Have the conversion item reviewed immediately and save the final message.