News
Thursday, 24 June 2010
Community Payback in Queen Square
A community payback promotion exercise took place within Queen Square on 23rd June to once again encourage local people to suggest projects for offenders to complete as part of the national Community Payback scheme.
Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods and Community Safety, Councillor John Pask, said: “It’s vital that the public - the council tax payer - has a say in what community punishments offenders receive. People have a right to know what offenders are doing in their neighbourhood to repay for the wrongs they have committed”.
Wolverhampton Crime and Justice Coordinator, Parpinder Singh, explained: “Community Payback is a great opportunity for the residents of Wolverhampton to practically influence how offenders repay their debt to the community.
“Wolverhampton’s Local Neighbourhood Partnerships are working hard with partners including the Police and Probation Service to ensure that the residents of Wolverhampton get to hear more about Community Payback schemes in the area and take part in deciding which projects offenders should carry out”, he added.
To suggest projects for Community Payback people can ring 01902 351518 or log onto www.swmprobation.gov.uk
Last year as part of the Crime and Justice work led by the Home Office there was a great emphasis on promoting Community Payback to demonstrate to residents that offenders are given harsh community punishments and to also provide an opportunity to local people to have a say on what projects are undertaken.
Thousands of people in 54 Neighbourhood Crime and Justice Pioneer Areas across the country voted for what Community Payback they would like to see offenders carry out first from a list of five projects per area.
The three week vote through the directgov website was part of the “Justice Seen, Justice Done” campaign to raise awareness of Community Payback as a tough punishment for criminals, following the launch of branded high visibility orange jackets that offenders must now wear whilst undertaking Community Payback.
It was decided that offenders in Wolverhampton should undertake a canals and waterways clear up; removal of rubbish and fly tipping as part of the Parkfields and Blakenhall Regeneration Project; demolition of an old play area and the creation of a new play and learning space at Heath Town Activity Centre; and a ‘bag run’ collecting and carrying hundreds of heavy filled collection bags and deliver them to a local charity shop.
More information is available from the Ministry of Justice Press Office on 020 33 34 35 36 or West Midlands Probation on 0121 248 6570. Parpinder Singh can be contacted on Wolverhampton 01902 550042.
In the picture you can See Councillor Pask, together with Barry Brown (community payback manager) and Karen Hill (Project manager) promoting Community Payback