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Community service for offenders has been temporarily suspended, it has emerged.
The Probation and Aftercare Service has suspended community service and other group work in order to follow the current health advice in response to the covid-19 outbreak.
It’s been confirmed that the move will affect 79 individuals currently subject to orders which act as a direct alternative to custody and require an offender to give back to the community to make amends for their crimes.
Chief Probation Officer Mike Cutland told Express: “We have suspended community service during the corona virus in an attempt to reduce the risk of the virus spreading. We have also suspended group work delivered by Probation Officers although we are still providing individual appointments to clients.
“We have taken a number of steps to maintain as many services as possible whilst prioritising the health and wellbeing of staff and the general public.”
Pictured: Chief Probation Officer Mike Cutland.
Asked when the reintroduction of the service will be reviewed, the senior probation officer said: “We review all our current practices on a daily basis taking into account government advice. These are challenging times for the island and our priority at the moment is not to do anything to jeopardise the health of our community.”
He added: “As soon as it is safe to do so we will resume the scheme.”
Currently, the Royal Court is continuing to sentence defendants as usual, whilst jury trials are being reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
Two lawyers, Advocates David Wilson and Anthony Robinson, were also sworn in by the Royal Court yesterday morning as extra court clerks to add to the judicial system's staffing resource.
The Court also swore in Advocate Michael St John O'Connell as a Relief Magistrate.
Before each of the Advocates taking their oaths, the Bailiff Timothy Le Cocq thanked them for taking on these duties.
It is not yet clear how the suspension of community service will affect the sentencing courts.
Express has contacted the Bailiff’s Chambers and Judicial Greffe for comment and is awaiting a response.
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