If Community Service is such a "good thing"... why do so many courts use it as part of a punishment?

Question

I, personally, think Community Service is wonderful. BUT, someone should be able to volunteer to do someothing for their community by choice. It is used as a "requirement" for certain things, like the Honor Society at my son's school... then it is used as a punishment for other things. (ie. You shoplifted... so go do 100 hours of Community Service!)

Shouldn't it be one or the other? For the love of doing good for others... or for punishment. Maybe there can be two names?

Answer 1

It's part of "paying a debt to society" as well. Not all law breakers get CS, it's usually limited to those having committed less serious crimes in the hope that they'll see the error of their ways.

As far as a punishment, I suppose you could call it that, but in these cases, I believe it's a worthwhile one. Frankly, I believe all teens should be required to serve 2 years of public service or the Military/National Guard.

Oh, call one community penance and the other, community service

Answer 2

I think that it is used as a punishment because typically the people who get it as a punishment aren't and never have been involved in positive things such as community service so the people who give the punishments think that if they get involved in doing community service, that it could help them turn over a positive outlook and start making positive changes in their life. However, parents should start getting their kids involved in community service at an early age so that they have lesser chances of getting into drugs and other trouble when they're older which would also mean the service would not be a punishment to them.

Answer 3

It is to show people the value of doing good for their community, rather than bad.
Also, people who get sentenced to community service often end up picking up trash off the side of the highway or some other unsavory task.
Volunteer groups usually do more fun or interesting tasks such as helping elderly rehab their homes or cleaning up a neighborhood park.
Also- if you are already predisposed to doing community service it is a positive experience for you.
If you are a criminal or deviant, you probably would look at the hard work involved as a chore, not a positive impact on your community, which makes it feel like more of a punishment.

Answer 4

Community service is just a service done to the community, whether it is required or not. Being required for Honor Society has people doing it just as grudgingly as someone who got it for getting a minor in consumption and is avoiding jail time, but it still does the same thing, serves the community, regardless of WHY. Community service in Honor Society is favored upon because it is teaching people to be resposible citizens and to take pride in their community, so how come it is frowned upon when the SAME lesson is attempted to be given to people who have made an error in judgement, whether it be one or many?

Answer 5

Making criminals do community service is a way of making someone who has done something bad, give something back to the community.

Like, if someone spray paints an overpass and they get 200hrs community service. They have to spend that 200hrs cleaning up, and making up for what they did.

I think it's required in school, to try and teach teenagers not to be selfish.(Not saying all teens are, I'm only 19 myself)

Answer 6

Community service judgements are a win-win situation for the charity, which is always in need of help; and, the offender, who needs to understand society's goals better.

Answer 7

Some people don't like to communtiy service. It is a good thing and a good way for the city to get cleaned up.

Answer 8

Free Labor for the city.

Answer 9

it is wonderful but not enough people volinteer so our goverment forces them to