Women in Community Service Programs

Females and the Community Service Sentence

Beginning in Alameda County, California, in 1966, community service sentences were issued to women who were “driving under the influence” (DUI) offenders. Several reasons for this decision exist. Many of these women were young, poor, first-time offenders with dependents. Unable to pay their monetary fines, these women were winding up in jail. Not wanting to separate these mothers from their children, the courts began to look for an alternative to the traditional DUI sanction (a monetary fine). Community service appeared as a logical alternative. The number of women in prisons and jails has been growing at an exceedingly fast rate. Community service, as an alternative sanction, has become an attractive alternative for female (and male) offenders because of its cost-saving benefits. The use of community service, as an alternative to incarceration, reduces costs, as it does not require the hiring and paying of more wardens, corrections officers, and healthcare professionals needed in order to run and maintain a prison. Furthermore, if offenders with dependents are sentenced to community ser-vice, as opposed to jail, the state does not incur the cost of caring for female offenders' children while their mothers serve an incarceration sentence.

Effectiveness

In terms of gender-differentiated research, no published research studies originating in the United States specifically examine the impact of community service orders on recidivism rates among female offenders. Fortunately, a few research studies in Europe have looked at this area. Overall, research indicates that community service sentences, as an alternative form of punishment, are at least as effective as other forms of punishment, including fines and short-term incarceration sentences. Furthermore, community service sentences appear to have an equivalent, if not a greater, effect in terms of lowering recidivism among offenders, including female offenders. For example, Lena Dominelli, in her examination of all community service sentences ordered in West Yorkshire, England, between 1976 and 1981, found that while male and female offenders were equally likely to complete their community service sentences, female offenders were less likely to recidivate than male offenders.

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