Community Service

A sentencing option for persons convicted of crimes in which the court orders the defendant to perform a number of hours of unpaid work for the benefit of the public. Typically, the community service will involve performance at a facility that has been authorized by the court or probation department.

Community service is a form of punishment intended to benefit the community that’s been harmed by an offender’s crime. Judges often order offenders to perform community service in addition to or instead of other forms of punishment, such as incarceration, fines, or probation.