Serving a community-based sentence

If you are sentenced to a community-based order, you will serve your sentence in the community, instead of in custody.

The court may also order you to do other things including:

• paying compensation and/or damages to a victim
• complete a program, course or treatment
• handing over property
• staying away from a person or place
• paying other costs.

What to expect while on a community-based order

This video has information about

• the services Community Operations provide
• your rights and obligations while being supervised
• what to expect when you meet with Community Operations
• how to ask for help.

To maintain privacy and confidentiality, actual offenders do not appear in the video.

Core conditions of all community-based orders

The conditions of your community-based order will be made clear to you and you will need to agree to them.

If you are sentenced to a community-based order, you will be under the supervision of ACT Corrective Services Community Operations and will need to follow some core conditions including:

• not committing another crime
• reporting to ACT Corrective Services as directed
• participating in programs or counselling as directed
• staying in the ACT, unless you have approval to go interstate
• telling ACT Corrective Services if you change your address or employment status.

Community-based orders in the ACT

Intensive Correction Order

An Intensive Correction Order (ICO) is a sentence of up to 4 years that is served in the community instead of in custody.

If you are sentenced to an ICO, in addition to the core conditions, you will need to:

• not have or use non-prescribed drugs
• test negative to drug tests.

You may also need to:

• complete community service work
• abide by a curfew
• not attend specific locations.

Drug and Alcohol Treatment Order

A Drug and Alcohol Treatment Order (DATO) is a sentence of between one and 4 years that is served in the community instead of custody. Part of the order focuses on reducing your alcohol or other drug use.

If you are sentenced to a DATO, in addition to the core conditions, you will need to:

• get medical, psychiatric or psychological treatment and/or attend detoxification programs that are relevant to your alcohol or other drug dependence
• appear before the Drug and Alcohol Sentencing List judge for regular progress assessments.

Suspended Sentence Order

A Suspended Sentence Order (SSO) is a sentence to custody which can be partially or fully suspended.

If your sentence of custody is partially suspended, you will go into custody for a period of time set by the court. Then you will serve the rest of your sentence in the community.

If your sentence to custody is fully suspended, you can serve your whole sentence in the community.

If you get an SSO, you will also have a Good Behaviour Order, you will need to meet the conditions of the GBO to stay out of custody.

Good Behaviour Order

A Good Behaviour Order (GBO) can be given for different types of offences, including less serious offences.

In addition to the core conditions, you can be ordered to do other things, which may include:

• doing community service work
• attending a rehabilitation program to address alcohol or other drug issues
• not contacting certain people or going to some areas or places
• providing samples for alcohol or other drug testing
• having medical assessments
• attending counselling
• not driving a motor vehicle
• not consuming alcohol or other non-prescribed drugs.

Parole order

If you are granted parole, you can serve the remaining time of your sentence in the community, under the supervision of ACT Corrective Services Community Operations.

In addition to the core conditions, you will need to:

• live in approved accommodation
• not have or use non-prescribed drugs
• stay in Australia, unless you have written permission from the Sentence Administration Board.

There may be more conditions to protect the victim or support you. They could include:

• not to consume alcohol
• have a curfew
• attend a rehabilitation facility
• complete a program
• attend services for support and treatment.

Community Service Work

You may have to do community work as part of your Intensive Correction Order or Good Behaviour Order. This gives you the opportunity to give back to the community and helps to develop skills that could help get a job.

The amount of community work can be between 20 and 500 hours and could include:

• gardening
• cleaning
• graffiti removal
• sorting donated goods.

If you break the conditions of your community-based order

If you break the conditions of your community-based order, this is also known as breaching, you may:

• have your conditions increased
• need to return court to be sentenced again
• be sent to custody.

Contact us